July 26, 2017

GlobalPort survives endgame fright vs Phoenix, nails first win

It’s not the kind of finish they wanted to make, but the GlobalPort Batang Pier relished weathering a Phoenix Petroleum endgame chase to nail a first win in the PBA Governors Cup.

Murphey Holloway brought in the stuffs expected of him as an early GlobalPort import sub, helping the Batang Pier subdue the Fuel Masters, 100-91, in a cold, rainy Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

He’s actually the team’s original choice but just couldn’t fly in early, prompting GlobalPort to settle with Jabril Trawick in their first game against Rain or Shine.

Trawick had a forgettable three-point game in GlobalPort’s 96-98 loss to Rain or Shine.

Holloway proved to be a lot better with his experience as a former NFL player coming in handy in their conquest of Eugene Phelps and the Fuel Masters.

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He came through with a huge double-double game of 29 points and 26 rebounds, standing his ground against Phelps, a PBA veteran who logged in 32 markers and 17 boards.

“We've found a perfect fit for us – an inside presence that will command a double,” said GlobalPort coach Franz Pumaren.

“He’s yet to get a decent sleep since arriving Friday, getting a sleep of just about five hours a night. And so he’s practicing with us for just a few minutes. Yesterday, he threw up in practice. I guess towards the progress of the tourney, the more he’ll be in shape,” added Pumaren.

“He gives us the inside presence, the rebounding. He’s fleet-footed, he’s agile as he’s a former football player playing a year in the NFL.”

Stanley Pringle, Terrence Romeo and Ryan Arana also played key roles in their wire-to-wire victory.

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But the Batang Pier didn’t complete the win without a scare.

Phelps, RJ Jazul, JC Intal and Cyrus Baguio joined forces in getting Phoenix to within five at 83-88 after trailing by as many as 30 at 45-75.

“We relaxed. We enjoyed the game so much and everybody started to doing their thing. We’re not defending. The mindset probably was that Phoenix would roll down and won’t give up the fight. They gave us a bit of a scare in the end,” rued Pumaren.

“But then the vets stepped in and executed what we wanted to do,” Pumaren was quick to add.

Arana scored on a putback, Holloway finished a fastbreak by Romeo on a two-handed jam and Romeo fired a twinner as the Batang Pier eventually put the game away, 94-85. (SB)