ROGER YAP SHINES AS PUREFOODS GETS BACK AT GINEBRA

Source: PBA.PH


Mon, 12/07/2009 - 00:37 — junior

Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio realizes there’s a lot of things to work on and is keeping his fingers crossed that the Giants could still clinch an outright semifinal spot in the 2009-10 KFC-PBA Philippine Cup.
Roger Yap scored 21 points and the Giants held Barangay Ginebra to three field goals in the last five minutes to streak to their third consecutive victory – an 89-81 decision over the Kings Sunday night at Araneta Coliseum.
P.J. Simon tallied 14 points and James Yap had 13 for Purefoods which improved to 7-4 tying idle Talk 'N Text at fourth place and stay within sight of the leaders.
“We know a lot of things have to be down. But as long as were not too far from the leaders we still have a chance to make it outright to the semis. Hopefully,” Gregorio said.
Looking to regain the title they won three years ago, the Giants controlled the game for three quarters but had to persevere in the fourth to weather a spirited charge by the Kings, who took the lead with six minutes left to play.
“The good thing is we made crucial stops and Roger (Yap) made important baskets,” Gregorio said.
Rookie Ginebra Kevin White came in the third quarter to give veteran guard Johnny Abbarientos a breather, had his moments and almost became a hero.
He scored 10 straight points as Ginebra opened the third with a 16-8 run. White ended that run with a layup off Mark Pingris as the Kings tied the count at 73 with 7:10 remaining.
After Jun Simon missed on a jumper in Purefoods’ next possession, Ronald Tubid made two freebies to put Ginebra a head for the first time, 75-73, with 5:06 to go.
But the Kings, the who won their first round meeting over the Giants, missed several open shots and made a couple of crucial turnovers and the Giants capitalized on those miscues.
Roger Yap hit a jumper from the right corner, Simon scored on a fastbreak layup then knocked in an 8-foot fallaway jumper before James Yap came up with a 12-foot jumper to spark a 10-2 run that put Purefoods aahead to stay, 83-77 with 2:11 to play.
Cyrus Baguio led Ginebra with 19 points but scored just a basket in the fourth quarter. White poured 12 of his career-high 14 points in the fourth and Billy Mamaril added 10 for the Kings who had their two-game winning streak snapped to fall to 7-4. (DBC)
The scores:
PUREFOODS 89 - Yap R. 21, Simon 14, Yap J. 13, Maierhofer 9, Pingris 9, Reavis 8, Allado 8, Artadi 7, Timberlake 0, Salvador 0, adducul 0.
GINEBRA 81 - Baguio 19, White 14, Mamaril 10, Tubid 8, Menk 8, Abbarientos 7, Intal 6, Wilson 3, Salvacion 3, Alvarez 2, Villanueva 1.
QUARTERSCORES: 24-19, 43-34, 65-57, 89-81.