NLEX prevails over NorthPort, 123-107

NLEX Road Warriors’ Oluseyi Ashaolu (center) breaks the defense of NorthPort Batang Pier’s Moala Tautuaa during their 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup game at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City on Sunday, Aug. 19. PBA

MANILA – Undermanned NLEX Road Warriors continued its surprising start in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup after taking down NorthPort Batang Pier 123-107 Sunday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Oluseyi Ashaolu led the way with double-double 27 points and 13 rebounds while Mark Jayven Tallo and Larry Fonacier added 14 markers apiece for the Road Warriors (2-0), which missed a number of key players and head coach Yeng Guiao.

Despite being shorthanded, NLEX had a fiery start on triples by Fonacier and inside hits from Tallo and Alex Mallari for a 34-19 lead. NorthPort rallied back in the second quarter to trim the deficit to just 58-61 at the half.

The game was still tight in the second half but the Road Warriors clung to a 6-point edge and had another strong performance in the fourth behind Ashaolu, Kenneth Ighalo and Juan Miguel Tiongson en route a huge 19-point lead.

“It’s a nice start,” said NLEX assistant coach Jojo Lastimosa. “But we’re not fooling ourselves. I told the guys that sometimes we feel good about ourselves but we’re not really that good.”

Rashad Woods finished with a near triple-double of 42 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists while Moala Tautuaa chipped in 20 points and 12 boards for Batang Pier (0-1), which played without Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony.

In the second game, Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy took turns on the offensive end as TNT KaTropa entered the win column with a 92-90 escape from Meralco Bolts.

From a tightly contested opening half, the KaTropa created distance from the Bolts in the third period on consecutive points by Romeo and Pogoy from inside and outside for a 70-61 lead.

Meralco countered with a run in the fourth and even took an 81-74 lead. Hits from Jeth Troy Rosario and Castro tied the scores 85-all before TNT snatched the lead for good on a floater by Pogoy and a corner triple by Romeo.

Romeo flirted with triple-double with 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while Pogoy and Castro added 19 and 16 points for the KaTropa, which played without an import after firing the ineffective Mike Glover./PN

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