MANILA – Celedonio Trollano was scorching in the third quarter as NLEX Road Warriors cruised to a 142-125 victory over Terrafirma Dyip in the 2022-2023 PBA Governors’ Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The former Adamson University Falcons guard dropped 24 points in the third canto, including five three-point conversions, as the Road Warriors turned their 66-54 lead to a 110-87 spread.
Trollano was well defended in the fourth quarter as he managed just a triple but his NLEX teammates Wayne Selden Jr., Kevin Alas and Philip Paniamogan took care of the scoring to preserve the win.
Trollano finished with career-high 44 points, including nine outside conversions, with three rebounds and three assists, while Selden contributed 38 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Road Warriors.
Rookie center Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser posted double-double 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Kevin Alas added 15 markers for the Road Warriors, which now has 7-3 win-loss slate.
Juan Miguel Tiongson tallied 38 points, including six triples, Jordan Williams had double-double 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Aklanon Andreas Cahilig and Joseph Gabayni had 17 and 13, respectively, as the Dyip dropped to 2-7.
Meanwhile, Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots rode on a torrid second quarter shooting before holding off NorthPort Batang Pier, 129-109, to move up to 5-4 win-loss slate. The Batang Pier dropped to 2-7.
After trailing by double-digits in the opening quarter, the Hotshots waxed hot in the second quarter behind reinforcement Antonio Hester, Calvin Abueva and Andy Mark Barroca to build a lead as high as 30 points in the third quarter.
The Batang Pier, however, answered with a huge run as they trimmed the deficit to as low as 13 points at 81-94 but timely shots by Barroca, Abueva and Rome dela Rosa brought the Hotshots’ lead back to 23 points at 124-101.
Hester led the Hotshots with double-double 28 points and 18 rebounds, Barroca chipped in 21 markers, while Dela Rosa, Abueva, Aris Dionisio and Paul Lee had 19, 18, 15 and 13 markers, respectively.
SIDE NOTES: Eight years after announcing his retirement, Danny Ildefonso is making a return as a PBA player after signing a contract with Converge FiberXers for the rest of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The 46-year-old Ildefonso, who also serve as one of Converge head coach Aldin Ayo’s assistants, will make his court return when the FiberXers faces his former team Meralco Bolts on Friday afternoon./PN
BOX SCORE:
NLEX 142 – Trollano 44, Selden Jr. 38, Ganuelas-Rosser 19, Alas 15, Paniamogan 6, Nieto 5, Rosales 4, Pascual 4, Miranda 3, Doliguez 2, Semerad 2, Gabo 0, Ighalo 0.
TERRAFIRMA 125 – Tiongson 38, Williams 29, Cahilig 17, Gabayni 13, Ramos 5, Cabagnot 5, Calvo 4, Camson 4, Gomez de Liano 3, Daquioag 3, Alolino 2, Ferrer 2, Mina 0.
Quarterscores: 31-27, 66-49, 110-87, 142-125.
