Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette MANILA — Mark Barroca and James Yap buried crucial baskets in the endgame as the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers edged the GlobalPort Batang Pier, 83-80, Friday night in the PLDT MyDSL 2014 PBA Philippine Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena. It was the second straight win for the Mixers after a 1-5 start as they forged a three-way tie for sixth to eighth place with idle Alaska Aces and Meralco Bolts. The loss snapped the Batang Pier's three-game winning streak as GlobalPort settled for solo fifth with a 4-4 card. Barroca scored seven of his team-high 18 points in the homestretch. He also had nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals, winning his matchup with fellow former Far Eastern University stars RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo, who managed just eight and two points, respectively. Yap complemented Barroca's heroics with his own, draining a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to give the Mixers the lead for good, 81-80. Playing with an inflamed right elbow, Yap finished with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Earlier, the Batang Pier launched a 7-0 run to take the lead, 80-78, with 35 seconds left. In the ensuing play, Barroca was blocked while attempting a layup. But the fired up San Mig Coffee point guard managed to keep possession, whipping a pass to Yap, who nonchalantly buried a triple. The Batang Pier had a chance to tie the game, but rookie Justin Chua committed a turnover. Barroca hit two free throws to ice the game. Rookie forward Ian Sangalang also had 15 points and nine rebounds for San Mig Super Coffee while PJ Simon and Joe Devance added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Sol Mercado led GlobalPort with 18 points. Jay Washington chipped in 15 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. Talk 'N Text 87, Barako Bull 80 OT The Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters started on fire leading by as much as 23 points in the first half, cooled off in the second half and were forced into overtime before escaping with an 87-80 victory in the first match of Friday's double-header. This marked the second straight game when the Texters lost a huge lead before pulling out a win. Only last Tuesday, the Texters also squandered a 20-point edge before coming up with a close 90-87 win over Rain or Shine. On Friday, Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo rescued TNT from the jaws of defeat, firing crucial baskets that eventually spelled victory. Castro scored six of his team-high 23 points in the overtime period. Playing point guard in the absence of the injured Jimmy Alapag, Castro also had six rebounds and nine assists. De Ocampo keyed his team's victory with two offensive rebounds and a three-pointer in the extra period. He finished with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Larry Fonacier and Kelly Williams added 13 and 10 points apiece. The win was the fifth in seven games for the Texters who climbed to solo third in the standings behind the pace-setting Petron Blaze (7-0) and Barangay Ginebra (6-1). Willie Miller led Barako Bull with 16 points and 10 rebounds. However, Miller turned from hero to goat in the endgame when he missed three straight free throws that could have turned the tide of battle in the Energy Cola's favor. JC Intal added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Continuing its freefall with its sixth straight loss after a 2-0 start, Barako Bull now finds itself at next to last place in the standings just ahead of Air21 (1-7). Games Saturday: Barangay Ginebra vs. Alaska and Rain or Shine vs. Petron.
