Starters shine for Ginebra in blowout win vs Kia

Japeth Aguilar of Ginebra forces his shot against two defenders of KIA during the 43rd PBA Philippine Cup in MOA Arena on Wednesday. PHOTO BY KC Cruz

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel clobbered the Kia Picanto in the first half to cruise to a 103-77 victory on Wednesday at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

All of Ginebra’s starters scored in double figures, with Greg Slaughter leading the charge with 14 points and eight boards.

LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar tallied 13 points apiece, while Scottie Thompson stuffed his stats sheet anew with 12 points, 14 boards, and seven assists. Kevin Ferrer, meanwhile, scored 10.

Ginebra dominated Kia in the paint, scoring 56 points to the Picanto’s 24. They also led by as many as 29 points.

Up by just one after the opening period, 25-24, the Gin Kings overwhelmed the Picanto in the second, pouring in 28 points while limiting Kia to just 10 points for a 53-34 edge at the half.

The Picanto didn’t do any better in the third, getting outscored 25-18 in the third to go down 78-52 heading into the final frame.

Coach Ricky Dandan’s squad struggled to chip away at the lead, managing to only match Ginebra’s output in the final 12 minutes to absorb the loss.

Rashawn McCarthy paced Kia with 15 points and six boards, while Ronald Tubid added 13. Jackson Corpuz and Jay-R Reyes combined for 17 off the bench. — BAP, GMA News