Back-to-back playdates no problem, as Ginebra routs NorthPort

November 5 ------ The concept of playing games on consecutive days is unusual in the PBA; winning under those circumstances rarer. Barangay Ginebra looked comfortable with the 24-hour turnaround, though. Stanley Pringle finished with 17 points to lead 7 teammates in double-digit scoring, as Ginebra downed NorthPort 112-100 in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup on Wednesday at AUF Sports Arena in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Aljon Mariano added 15 points off the bench for Ginebra, which raised its record to 6-2, tying TNT Tropang Giga atop the standings. Coach Tim Cone and co. showed no signs of fatigue, coming into the game having played 24 hours prior, a victory over Alaska. "We're sharp tonight. I'm really proud of our guys for the effort they made tonight. They showed a lot of character playing right," Cone said. NorthPort jumped on Ginebra to take a 23-13 lead in the first quarter, but it was a different story in the second, where Ginebra outscored them 39-14 for a 57-48 halftime lead.

A 3-pointer by Renzo Subido cut the deficit to 66-65, but Ginebra baskets by Mariano and Japeth Aguilar denied NorthPort a chance to retake the lead. After Ginebra went up by 19 in the fourth quarter, a bucket by Christian Standhardinger put Batang Pier within 104-96 with 2:35 remaining. But an Aguilar layup stopped NorthPort's momentum, and coach Pido Jarencio and his crew couldn't force a deserving stop, thus preserving the win for Ginebra.

"There's a lot of things we got to improve to get better," Cone said. "Offensively, we moved the ball with a lot of assists. We're trying to get a teammate open and did really well in terms of passing. LA Tenorio finished with 13 points and 7 assists, Mariano chipped in 5 rebounds and 7 assists, Aguilar had 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Scottie Thompson tallied 11 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Standhardinger and Kevin Ferrer each had 23 points to lead NorthPort, which sunk to 1-6, a half game ahead of last-place TerraFirma Dyip (0-6).

Source: news.abs-cbn.com/sports