Tigers beat Beermen, grab early Fiesta Cup lead

Coca-Cola finds itself in unfamiliar territory just a week into the KFC-PBA Fiesta Cup. Used to lag behind their star-studded opponents the last six years, the Tigers of coach Bo Perasol leaned on the combined efforts of James Penny, Gary David and Chico Lanete in pulling off a 108-98 win over defending champion San Miguel Saturday night in the first Phoenix Fuel-PBA Tour game in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.

Penny paced Coca-Cola with 33 points and sparked the decisive 12-2 blast with an undergoal stab, before David and Lanete sustained it by hitting their respective free throws. Lanete's strong drive to the basket with 5:47 to go finally put the Tigers on top, 86-85. David and Lanete, once the Lyceum Pirates' dreaded 1-2 punch, finished with 19 and 15 each as the Tigers notched the solo lead with a 2-0 record. The Beermen, coming off a struggling 92-87 win over the Air21 Express in their debut game, fell to 1-1. A Danny Ildefonso split from the foul line shoved San Miguel to within 88-86, but Penny, Lanete and RJ Rizada hit from three-point range as the Tigers pulled away for good, 95-86, with 3:03 left. Gabe Freeman and Arwind Santos led the Beermen with 18 points each. Santos scored on a drive and nailed a trey in a last ditch effort by the reigning champions, only for Penny, Rizada and Dennis Espino to answer back with a string of baskets for a 101-91 Coca-Cola lead entering the final two minutes of play. Espino also finished in double figures for Coca-Cola with 12. Ildefonso and Dondon Hontiveros added 17 and 12, respectively for San Miguel. – GMANews.TV