Barangay Ginebra draws first blood in semis clash vs Meralco

Barangay Ginebra asserted its mastery over Meralco after a decisive 96-79 victory in Game 1 of their PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series on Wednesday.

Six Gin Kings scored in twin digits, led by Stanley Pringle who finished with 19  points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Scottie Thompson had a near triple double performance with 13 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while rookie Arvin Tolentino had 13 markers and five boards.

Allein Maliksi waxed hot from beyond the arc for the Bolts, hitting 5-of-5 triples to drop 24 points, but he had little help from the rest of his teammates.

Baser Amer had an off night as he finished with a 1-of-10 clip from the field, while the team as a whole shot only 39%.

Box score:

Barangay Ginebra — Pringle 19, Thompson 13, Tolentino 13, Tenorio 11, Mariano 11, Caperal 10, Aguilar 9, Dillinger 4, Dela Cruz 2, Devance 2, Balanza 2, Chan 0, Salado 0.

Meralco — Maliksi 24, Newsome 13, Hugnatan 9, Black 8, Pinto 6, Hodge 4, Jamito 4, Almazan 3, Amer 2, Quinto 2, Faundo 2, Salva 2, Jackson 0, Caram 0.

—MGP, GMA News