TUGADE, SEIGLE SIZZLE IN BIG SMB GAME 1 WIN
Torrid shooting spree gives Beermen early lead
Friday, 09 February 2007
Lordy Tugade and Danny Seigle are proven warriors with Finals MVP plums tucked under their belts.
With the two prolific forwards churning out solid games together Friday, San Miguel Beer got off to a strong start in the 2006-07 Talk N Text PBA Philippine Cup Finals, smothering Barangay Ginebra, 118-94, before a crowd of over 14,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Tugade played his best game in a San Miguel jersey, firing five triples and totaling 27 points, while Seigle added 22 points and nine rebounds as the
Beermen surprised the Kings with a jackrabbit start which they sustained up to the final buzzer.
The Beermen dealt the Kings a 22-point blowout minus Danny Ildefonso, but coach Chot Reyes tried to downplay their feat.
"It wasn’t easy by any means. It was a battle and the final score wasn’t the true reflection of the game," said Reyes.
Reyes said their torrid shooting spelled the difference in the contest.
"Obviously, I didn’t expect the margin to be that big. It so happened that we shot very well. And I hope that we continue to shoot that way in the second game," Reyes added.
Ginebra coach Jong Uichico, however, admitted it was murder.
"We couldn’t keep in step with them. They were always one step ahead of us. Hopefully, we can make the necessary adjustments in Game Two," said Uichico.
LA Tenorio broke the ice with a short jumper, Dondon Hontiveros followed it up with a triple and the Beermen held on to the lead throughout in an overpowering performance that spoke well of their great determination to win an 18th PBA crown.
The Beermen, the league’s most winningest ball club which has beaten the Kings in two previous title-playoff encounters, made it 9-3 in their championship games with Tugade and Seigle leading the way for the team.
Tugade and Seigle, incidentally, have five Finals MVP plums between themselves.
"To be very honest, I expected Lordy to play well but not this well. He struggled in the Red Bull series but it’s understandable since his former teammates know how to guard him," said Reyes.
Dorian Pena, Tenorio and Chris Calaguio also hit their strides, giving the Beermen tremendous boost as they dominated the Ginebra side which drew significant numbers only from four players in Mark Caguioa, Rudy Hatfield, Ronald Tubid and Johnny Abarrientos.
Eric Menk showed up in uniform but sat out the game.
The Beermen carried a 62-42 bulge into the final half while converting 58.8 percent of their 17 three-point attempts in the first 24 minutes of play.
Tugade was 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the second period and totaled four treys and 18 points in the first half. Tenorio and Hontiveros added two apiece and Seigle and Calaguio one each.
Tugade sizzled from the long court while Pena did his job in the paint as the Beermen pulled away from a 29-23 lead at the start of the second quarter.
The Beermen built huge leads early despite 18 turnovers in the opening half.
A freak shot by Calaguio off a foul by Abarrientos beat the buzzer at the close of the third canto. Calaguio made the accompanying free throw to make it 89-72 for San Miguel. (NC)
The scores:
San Miguel 118 – Tugade 27, Seigle 22, Pena 18, Tenorio 12, Calaguio 10, Wilson 7, Racela 7, Hontiveros 6, Adducul 5, Espinas 2, Gonzales 2.
Ginebra 94 – Caguioa 30, Hatfield 22, Tubid 12, Abarrientos 12, Helterbrand 6, Salvacion 5, Reavis 4, Mamaril 2, Macapagal 1, Holper 0, Seigle 0.