The Spark too much for Bolts

Games today:

Smart Araneta Coliseum

4:15 p.m. – Powerade vs. Talk ’N Text

6:30 p.m. – Petron vs Alaska

The Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings relied on veteran Mark “The Spark” Caguioa and their tough defense on Meralco’s scorers to hack out a 100-73 victory yesterday in a Phoenix On Tour road game of the PBA Governors Cup at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.

Caguioa came off the bench and scored 22 points in just 23 minutes of action as the Kings tied Petron and B-Meg at second spot with similar 2-1 (win-loss) records.

Aside from the offensive explosion of Caguioa, the Gin Kings also did a decent job on defense as they grounded Meralco’s top guns Macmac Cardona and import Champ Oguchi.

With both players struggling due to Ginebra’s tough defense, Sol Mercado tried to carry the scoring load for Meralco as he piled up 23 markers. Oguchi was held down to just 16 markers while Cardona managed two points.

Mercado and Reynel Hugnatan kept the Bolts hanging in the third when the Gin Kings started pulling away.

Caguioa, import Cedric Bozeman and rookie Allein Maliksi took turns hurting Meralco’s defense in the third as they helped Ginebra erect double-digit leads and end the period with a 67-57 advantage.

The fourth was still an all-Ginebra show as Caguioa opened the period with  six straight points capped off with a rare four-point play and the Bolts would never come close.

Bozeman topscored for Ginebra with 27 points while the sweet-shooting Maliksi logged a career-high 16 points.