Banchero leads the way as Alaska defeats Ginebra in OT

The Alaska Aces pulled points from their locals to defeat Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 109-100, in overtime on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Tied at 94-all at the end of regulation, Alaska proved to have more in the tank, outscoring Ginebra 15-6 in overtime to earn the victory.

"We're kinda in control lately. It's nice to have Calvin [Abueva] back on the floor," said Alaska mentor Alex Compton. "The guys made shots; we got a little momentum."

Ladontae Henton had 29 points and nine rebounds for Alaska, while Chris Banchero chipped in 19 points while tallying five steals, three rebounds, and three assists. RJ Jazul rounded up the starters in double figures with 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Abueva came off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Aces led by as much as seven points early in the fourth, 79-72, before Sol Mercado took over to tie the game at 84-all. Neither team could break away, as two charities from RJ Jazul kept the game knotted entering the final minute. Ginebra had two put the game away, but attempts from Dave Marcelo and Sol Mercado failed to connect, sending the game to extra time.

Ginebra relied heavily on Justin Brownlee, as the import hit 31 points with 13 boards in 29 minutes. Sol Mercado gave the team a huge lift off the bench with 22 points, as LA Tenorio filled the stats sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. — DVM, GMA News