PBA: Great game bro! Rookie Romeo scores 34 to lead GlobalPort over Air21

Rookie Terrence Romeo got his side the big lead, and then made sure they stayed ahead for the win.

The fifth overall pick in the 2013 PBA Draft dazzled with 34 points, leading the GlobalPort Batang Pier to a 114-100 win over the Air21 Express, Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, in the 2013-14 Philippine Cup.

GlobalPort saw their 19-point lead reduced to just nine, 103-94, with 2:55 left, but seven straight markers restored their big advantage, 110-94, 1:56 remaining, and it was enough to secure the team's first win of the conference.

The Batang Pier improved to 1-1 after dropping their initial match against the Petron Blaze Boosters, while Air21 dropped to 0-2, alongside the San Mig Coffee Mixers.

Romeo finished with 34 points, making 6-of-9 three-pointers. He also had six boards and three dimes in a standout performance.

The Express jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but a spate of outside shots by the FEU rookie pair of RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo kept the Batang Pier in the game. Fouled on a trey, Romeo, the reigning UAAP MVP, converted all three, to put his team up 11-10.

A Vic Manuel put-back and a Joseph Yeo fadeaway had Air21 up anew, but another Romeo trey, followed by a Jay Washington offensive carom, had GlobalPort in the lead after the first period, 20-18.

In the second quarter, an 8-0 run, half coming from another GlobalPort rookie, Nico Salva, who flashed a nifty spin move, made it 34-27, Yeo came to the rescue again for Air21 though, canning a triple to make it just a two-possession game. The black-and-green couldn't extend their lead beyond five, and a Yeo drive with 21.8 seconds left had it as just a one-point affair entering the break, 47-46.

Back-to-back hits by Asi Taulava put Air21 up anew after the break, 54-52, but it was short-lived for the Express. Triples from Romeo and Washington sparked the Batang Pier, and the resulting 16-3 explosion armed GlobalPort with a 68-57 advantage.

As the third period continued, Yeo and KG Canaleta, who had a quiet first half, began to reel their opponents back in. The two scored eight straight for their side, to make it an eight-point difference, 76-68.

Leo Najorda and Jewel Ponferada snapped GlobalPort's dry spell, 80-68. Vic Manuel, himself a former member of the Batang Pier, scored, and in response, Canaleta kept at it, nailing four charities, 80-74. But just when Air21 thought they had stabilized the game, Romeo was there to prove them wrong, nailing a triple while fading to the side, 83-74.

All-in-all, Romeo had 14 of his 34 markers, in the third period.


At the start of the fourth, a defensive error led to Romeo giving up a foul on Renren Ritualo, which resulted in three free points, 83-77. However, Romeo quickly made up for it, sprinkling five markers to restore GlobalPort's double-digit lead. That was followed up by a 19-5 run from the Batang Pier, built on two triples by Jaypee Belencion, 101-82, 7:18 left to play.

Still, Air21 fought back. After a split by Jaime, the Express began to look for Asi Taulava as the spear-tip to their counter-run. The veteran center scored six straight, making it just a 12-point difference, 101-89. Multiple opportunities on one possesion by the Batang Pier led to a Sol Mercado drive, but Taulava negated it with a make. A split at the line, followed by Bonbon Custodio in transition, got the Express back within single-digits though, 103-94, 2:55 on the clock.

In addition to Romeo, Jay Washington played a game-high 40 minutes and finished with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. Sol Mercado added 14 markers, four boards and seven dimes for GlobalPort.

Air21 was led by Joseph Yeo's 24 markers. "The Ninja" shot 10-of-18 from the field, snagged seven boards and issued six assists. Asi Taulava shot 50 percent en route to 21 points, plus 15 boards, while newcomer Chito Jaime, formerly with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, compiled 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Batang Pier constantly found the open man, registering 27 assists, nearly double Air21's 14. They also got an 18-11 advantage in fast break points, a 17-11 margin in second-chance points, and converted more three-pointers (10-of-27 versus 4-of-14) and free throws (30-of-38 versus 22-of-37). - GMA News


The scores:

GlobalPort 114 - Romeo 34, Washington 19, Mercado 14, Ponferrada 8, Menk 7, Salvador 7, Garcia 7, Belencion 6, Najorda 6, Salva 4, Hayes 2

Air21 100 - Yeo 24, Taulava 21, Jaime 13, Canaleta 11, Custodio 8, Manuel 8, Camson 6, Espiritu 3, Sharma 3, Ritualo 3, Menor 0, Arboleda 0

Quarter scoring: 20-18, 47-46, 83-74, 114-100