ABL: Fazekas, Banchero power Beermen over Cobras

The San Miguel Beermen solidified their hold of the number one spot in the standings in the Asean Basketball league, turning back the Bangkok Cobras, 91-77 on Saturday at the Ynares Gym in Pasig. Nick Fazekas had 25 points and 15 rebounds for the Beermen, while Fil-Italian point guard Chris Banchero added 22 in the winning effort. It was not a routine outing for the Beermen who found themselves behind in the first quarter 22-18. But Fazekas and Banchero sparked a second quarter comeback for the home team, as San Miguel outscored Bangkok 26-16 for a 44-38 halftime lead. The Cobras tried to go toe-to-toe on the offensive against the Beermen in the third quarter, as they cut the lead to five leading into the final period, 65-60. But in the fourth, the steady backcourt of San Miguel proved to be too much for Bangkok, dictating the pace to outscore the Cobras 26-17 for the 91-77 final score. With the win, the Beermen are now two games ahead of the Air Asia Philippine Patriots with a 16-4 win-loss record. The Cobras slide to seventh place after losing their 12th game against six victories. - AMD, GMA News The scores: San Miguel - Fazekas 25, Banchero 22, Avenido 13, Crews 12, Yap 8, Baguion 5, Fajardo 3, Gonzales 3, Fernandez 0 Bangkok - Lewis 20, Cruz 16, Reyes 14, Kruatiwa 11, Travis 8, Apiromvilaichai 4, Chaiwat 2, Limsuan 2, Wanna 0 Quarter scores: 18-22, 44-38, 65-60, 91-77