MANILA — The red-hot GlobalPort Batang Pier defeated the Star Hotshots, 91-84, to notch its second straight victory and a share of the early lead in the PBA Philippine Cup on Friday night. The feared backcourt duo of Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo spearheaded the GlobalPort assault, with Pringle posting a team-high 24 points, 12 of them scored in the first quarter. Romeo added 18 points and eight assists, although he had seven turnovers. New acquisitions KG Canaleta, formerly from Mahinda, added 12 markers and seven boards while JR Quinahan, formerly from Rain or Shine, chipped in six points, hauled down 10 rebounds and dished out four assists. With the win, GlobalPort tied Rain or Shine for the early lead in the standings, both with a 2-0 card. Star suffered a second straight loss to join Mahindra at the bottom of the pack. The Hotshots were led by Marc Pingris who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Led by Pringle, the Batang Pier poured on the points over the hapless Hotshots as they took a 29-8 lead in the first quarter. GlobalPort kept up the pressure but relaxed a bit in the final quarter, allowing Star to come to within seven points in the final minute, but to no avail. TNT Katropa 99, Blackwater 92 After skipping his team's first two games, Jayson Castro returned in fiery fashion, leading the TNT KaTropa Texters to a 99-92 victory over the much-improved Blackwater Elite, which suffered its first loss in three games. Castro and Mo Tautuaa shared scoring honors, both posting 20 points as the Texters won a second straight game after losing their season opener. Castro also had five rebounds and five assists while Tautuaa shot 8-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc. Ranidel De Ocampo added 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Texters. Larry Fonacier chipped in 11 markers. Blackwater's super rookie Mac Belo, who led his team to two straight wins to open the season, again led the Elite with 21 points, including 15 in the second half, on top of nine rebounds. Kyle Pascual and Nard John Pinto added 14 markers each for Blackwater while Art Dela Cruz and Reil Cervantes scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Belo led a furious Blackwater rally in the endgame that just fell short. Blackwater led TNT, 30-21, in the first quarter before the Texters, led by Castro and Tautuaa, asserted their might to take a 50-46 lead at the half. The Texters padded their lead to 13 at 88-75 before the Elite made their run, cutting the TNT lead to four in the final 26 seconds. But free throws from De Ocampo sealed the win for TNT. The Texters outrebounded the Elite, 52-43. Games Saturday: NLEX Road Warriors (1-0) vs. Meralco Bolts (0-1) and San Miguel Beermen (1-1) vs. Alaska Aces (0-1).
