Former Alaska mentor steers SanMig Coffee to victory over the Aces anew in Lapu-Lapu
Games today
MOA Arena
4:15 p.m.- Meralco vs. Petron
6:30 p.m.- Talk ‘N Text vs. Barangay Ginebra
Save for a pair of exhibition game victories, the Alaska Aces still haven’t found a way to defeat the San Mig Coffee Mixers under former head coach Tim Cone.
Cone continued his mastery over his former team as the Coffee Mixers trampled the Alaska Aces, 77-68, last night in an out-of-town game of the 38th PBA Philippine Cup at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.
Cone is now 5-0 against Alaska—the team that he guided to 13 championships in a 22-year relationship.
Cone left the Aces to join San Mig Coffe (then B-Meg) last season and the American head coach has been running roughshod over his former team.
That only time that the Aces managed to defeat Cone and his team was during an abrupted pre-season game and a pocket tournament at the Cebu Coliseum last August.
In extending the dominance, Cone and his wards pocketed their fourth straight win and sixth overall to tie the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at the second spot of the team standings with identical 6-2 (win-loss) slates.
Former Alaska stalwart Joe Devance keyed the Coffee Mixers’ win by tallying 14 of his 18 points in the fourth period, where his team pulled away after a sloppy first half.
Alaska absorbed a second straight loss after a stirring five-game win streak and a poor second half performance was again to blame in its fourth loss in nine games.
Just like in their 93-101 loss to the Painters last Wednesday, the Aces played solid in the first half where it posted double-digit leads only to fizzle in the second half.
Alaska opened up a 22-12 lead in the second stanza but couldn’t sustain its momentum in the second half.
Alaska last tasted the lead at 41-40 as San Mig closed the third with an 8-2 run to take a 47-43 lead, entering the fourth.
De Vance highlighted his fourth quarter brilliance in a back-breaking San Mig run where the agile big man scored seven points in an 11-0 attack that saw the Coffee Mixers erecting a fat, 70-58 lead in the final 3:05.
BOX SCORES:
SANMIG COFFEE 77 – Devance 18, Simon 15, Barroca 15, Yap 11, De Ocampo 8, Villanueva 4, Pingris 2, Gonzales 2, Reavis 2.
ALASKA 68 – Baguio 19, Casio 12, Thoss 11, Abueva 8, Baracael 5, Hontiveros 4, Jazul 3, Dela cuz 3, Espinas 2, Eman 1, Laure 0, Belasco 0.
QUARTERSCORES: 12-14, 22-26, 47-43, 77-68.
