• DAVID WAXES HOT AS POWERADE SPOILS SHOPINAS DEBUT

Published on October 5, 2011

POWERADE’s top draft pick may be sitting it out but there’s still the usual go-to guy for the
Tigers to turn to and set off their PBA Philippine Cup campaign on a high note.

Despite some run-ins with pesky Ogie Menor, Gary David exploded for 31 points as Powerade blew hot
and cold and then hot again in bucking JV Casio’s absence and notching a 98-87 victory over gritty
Shopinas.com Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome. 

Celino Cruz, Joshua Vanlandingham and rookie Marcio Lassiter also churned up at least 10 points each
as the Tigers regained in the game’s last 13 minutes the fiery form that had them racing to two
early 24-point leads.

“I’m happy that we won but I’m definitely not satisfied with the way we played defense,”
said coach Bo Perasol after his team joined opening day winner Rain or Shine on top of the
leaderboard.

“We could have limited Shopinas more,” he added. “I was telling them that Shopinas is a new
team and if we’re going to struggle against them we’re definitely going to struggle with the
stronger teams. 

“We need more hard work and put our mind into our goal, which is to defend as a team. I just know
it takes a lot of commitment to do that since it’s not as popular as offense. It needs hard work.
It’s not going to be comfortable.”

Ren-Ren Ritualo led Shopinas with 19 points with rookie James Sena adding 15 and a game-high 12
rebounds and Jojo Duncil 11 markers, the bulk coming at the height of the Clickers’ most
noteworthy assault.

Duncil, on loan to Petron Blaze in the Boosters’ successful Governors Cup campaign, scattered nine
of his points in the third period that enabled Shopinas to close in at 67-69 and kept it within
70-73 going into the last minute of the third period.

Good thing the likes of rookie Rudy Lingganay, Cruz, David and Vanlandingham were there to provide
stability in Powerade’s endgame stance. 

Lassiter, tabbed three notches lower than Casio in last August’s Draft, capped a 10-point,
seven-rebound debut with a floater that made it a safe 93-81 count, 5:04 left.

Curiously, it was Perasol himself who offered an explanation for his team’s roller-coaster debut
against a squad made up of holdovers from the old Barako Bull crew, some rookies and a sprinkling of
sophomores and veterans. 

“We need more time to spend together,” said Perasol. 

Casio is still resting a sore left knee and is expected to be out for two more weeks. The playmaker
made the top draft pick overall sat at the end of the Powerade bench and contributed by cheering his
teammates on.

“There’s no rush (for Casio to play),” said Perasol. “He’s here for the long-term and we
know he is going to be the great player that he (already) is.”

For a long while it seems there really was no need for Casio to immediately suit, especially after
the Tigers broke out of an 8-all count with eight straight points, all by David.

The local scoring champion the last two seasons already had 12 after the first period and 23 at the
half, but it was Vanlandingham’s jumper that made it a 40-16 bulge and David’s layup maintained
that 24-point difference, 10:42 before the turn.  

Then Ritualo started waxing hot and led the Clickers’ fightback that moved them within 34-44
before settling for a 42-55 halftime deficit. (NC)

The scores:

Powerade 98 - David 31, Cruz 15, Vanlandingham 14, Lassiter 10, Antonio 8, Lingganay 6, Kramer 6,
Anthony 4, Calimag 4, Adducul 0.

Shopinas.com 87 - Ritualo 19, Sena 15, Duncil 11, Mirza 9, Sison 8, Hermida 7, Espiritu 6, Jazul 6,
Menor 6, Canlas 0, Canta 0, Se 0.

Quarterscores: 37-16, 55-42, 79-71, 98-87