Combined North-South All-Stars drub Team Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines - The combined North and South All-Stars needed a big fourth quarter run to stop the Powerade-Team Pilipinas, 97-89, on Sunday's conclusion of the Motolite PBA All-Star Week at the Araneta Coliseum. Gin Kings import David Noel, who was adjudged Most Valuable Player of the match, teamed up with San Miguel Beer's import Gabe Freeman to give the All-Stars their first victory in three attempts against the Nationals. "We have a big problem in the beginning. But we just want to win and even though we didn't have practice yesterday, we played hard because we want to win," said Noel, the import dunk king and the overall dunk winner, after accepting his MVP award. The Nationals won the face-off in Victorias Gym in Negros Occidental, 98-80, when they met the North All-Stars and the second match in Panabo, Davao del Norte where they met the South All-Stars. But the combined South and North All-Stars team was just too good for the Nationals, especially in the fourth quarter when Noel and Freeman teamed up to erase a 78-83 deficit that took the game out of the national team. A jumper and a three-point shot by Freeman gave the All-Stars a 94-86 lead with the time winding down. The Nationals tried to come back but a series of misses from the three-point area by Mick Penissi, who led the Nationals during Negros Occidental match, and on the free throw line by Jared Dillinger, who was pivotal in the Davao win, just stopped them from overhauling the deficit. National coach Yeng Guiao is using the All-Star matches to prepare his team for the FIBA-Asia world qualifying tournament this August in China. –GMANews.TV