ABL: San Miguel Beermen de-venom Bangkok Cobras

The San Miguel Beermen showed just how dominant they could be, easily dispatching the Bangkok Cobras 94-59, Saturday, at the Ynares Sports Arena, in the third season of the ASEAN Basketball League. Early preseason favorites, the Beermen entered the game with a 2-2 win-loss record, and conceded a 0-3 start to the Cobras, but they quickly answered with 10 quick points, leaping out ahead for good. A triple by former Barako Bull Energy Booster Marvin Cruz seemingly made things competitive, making it an 18-16 game with 1:10 left in the first quarter. Instead, it was all downhill for the Cobras after that, courtesy of a 10-2 blast by the Beermen that lasted until the 8:05 mark of the second period, when Cruz canned another triple. Up 16 at the break, 50-34, the Beermen could have chosen to take their foot off the gas pedal, but instead, they seemed to come out of the halftime intermission more fired up. Defensively, San Miguel was airtight, allowing the Cobras to score just 25 more points in the game, and by the time the final buzzer sounded, the Beermen were just six points shy of reaching the century mark, thanks to 26 points fourth quarter points. Five Beermen finished with double-digit scoring, led by Doug Thomson's double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Gunners Leo Avenido and RJ Rizada both scored 13, while the team's second import, Darlon Johnson, had 12. Big man Junemar Fajardo scored just four points, but hauled down a game-high 13 boards, helping San Miguel to a 51-31 advantage on the glass. The Cobras, which shot just 28 percent from the field in the lopsided affair, got 17 markers from Cruz, seven of which came from 10 attempts at the foul line. Imports Gentry Lewis and Michael Earl combined for 23. After improving to 3-2, San Miguel will look to extend their good fortune next week, when they go up against the, as of writing, winless Saigon Heat, on February 11. - Adrian Dy/KBK, GMA News The scores: San Miguel Beermen (94) - Thomson 14, Rizada 13, Avenido 13, De La Pena 12, Johnson 12, Cabatu 8, Gonzales 8, Fernandez 6, Mangahas 4, Fajardo 4, Basco 0, Baguion 0 Bangkok Cobras (59) - Cruz 17, Lewis 14, Earl 9, Klahan 6, Wanna 4, Limsuwan 4, Apiromvilaichai 2, Chaiwat 2, Kongkum 1, Kruatiwa 0 Quarter-scoring: 24-18,50-34, 68-46, 94-59