B-Meg beats Ginebra, grabs solo 2nd place

Game today:

Araneta Coliseum

8 p.m.- Talk ’N Text vs. Rain or Shine

The B-Meg Llamados moved up to solo second place after pulling off a crucial 82-70 win over sister-team Barangay Ginebra Kings last night in the semifinal round of the 37th PBA Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

B-Meg improved to 9-4 (win-loss), moving a half game behind the pacesetting Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, who have a 9-3 slate.

The win also kept the Llamados’ bid of earning a playoff for a finals berth alive in case it fails to land at the top two after the semis. A team can earn a playoff despite finishing out of the top two after the semis if it wins four of five semifinal games.

The loss pulled the Kings down to the third spot with an 8-5 record.

Despite the loss—their first in four semifinal games—Ginebra remains in the hunt for that crucial “four-out-of-five” incentive.

Also in running for that incentive are the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters (7-5), who play the Painters in a crucial game today at the Big Dome.

A loss will mean elimination for the Texters, leaving B-Meg, Ginebra and Rain or Shine for that race to the finals.

Meanwhile, the Meralco Bolts ended their campaign with a nail-biting 113-112 win over the dethroned defending champions Petron Blaze Boosters.

Both Meralco and Petron bowed out with six wins and eight losses.

Import Mario West capped his 41-point game with an acrobatic shot in the final 1.6 seconds that sealed the Bolts’ cardiac win.

BOX SCORES:

FIRST GAME

MERALCO (113)- West 41, Cardona 26, Mercado 19, Ross 10, Taulava 10, Macapagal 5, Reyes 2, Timberlake 0.

PETRON (112)- Cabagnot 29, Lutz 22, Santos 16, Faison 15, Washington 11, Pena 6, Yeo 5, Hontiveros 4, Baclao 2, Duncil 2, Lanete 0.

SECOND GAME

B-MEG (82)- Pingris 24, Blakely 17, Yap 11, Reavis 11, Urbiztondo 9, Simon 4, De Ocampo 4, Villanueva 2, Barroca 0.

GINEBRA (70)- Bozeman 22, Helterbrand 16, Raymundo 14, Mamaril 4, Cortez 4, Caguioa 3, Maierhofer 2, W. Wilson 2, Hatfield 2, Villanueva 1, Maliksi 0, Ababou 0, Canaleta 0, Menk 0.