Meralco starts EASL campaign with Black Bears win

BOOTED out of the PBA Governors’ Cup title run, Meralco is challenging all its energy into its campaign in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Season 2 for now.

Just days after absorbing a bitter 0-3 sweep from Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinal series, the Bolts returned to action for the EASL tipoff and took care of business against the Macau Black Bears, 97-85, on Wednesday at the MOA Arena.

The opening win in Group B enabled the reigning PBA Philippine Cup titlists to already match its total win in the previous season of the international league. As a group, the win worked as a balm for the pride bruised by the shutout defeat to old rival Ginebra.

“It’s a blessing for us to have the opportunity to bounce back not even three days later from the quarterfinal loss,” said Meralco ace Chris Newsome after venting their ire on the EASL expansion team.

“It’s definitely something that we needed as an organization, as a team, to kind of find our rhythm again and kind of have that fresh start. We were definitely able to get that win that we needed after losing three straight and I think that can do a lot for our confidence,” he added.

After Macau, the Bolts will go on the road on Oct. 16 to face Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa then host Korea’s Busan KCC Egis on Nov. 13 before returning to the PBA for the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup late November.

Against the Bears, Mr. Newsome fired 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while import Allen Durham posted a double-double of 17 markers and 11 boards for the Bolts, who pulled away in the second half and led by as many as 19 points.

Also delivering for Meralco were its second reinforcement, DJ Kennedy, who dished a 17-9-8 statline, Chris Banchero, who scored 14, and naturalized player Ange Kouame, who logged 9-9.

“It’s nice to win our first game here. We played with a lot of pride, although we didn’t play our best game,” said coach Luigi Trillo, whose charges finished with 1-5 last time, their lone victory posted in home-away-from-home Macau at the expense of Ryukyu. “At least we got one over here on our home turf.” — Olmin Leyba

The scores

Meralco Bolts 97 – Newsome 18, Durham 17, Kennedy 17, Banchero 14, Kouame 9, Almazan 7, Quinto 7, Hodge 4, Caram 2, Bates 2.

Macau Black Bears 85 – Cylla 23, Artino 23, Chongqui 21, Leung 10, Deguara 8, Chao 0, Li 0, Zeng 0, Lao 0, Chan 0.

Quarter scores: 24-17; 43-39; 73-64; 97-85.