Despite the absence of starting guard Stanley Pringle due to injury, Robert Bolick sparked the energy for his team at 25 points and seven rebounds. Prince Ibeh added a double-double of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks, while Garvo Lanete and Jonathan Grey scored 16 points each. Moala Tautuaa and Nico Elorde also chipped 11 each. At one point, NorthPort was leading by as much as 32 points, but Charles Rhodes fought hard for the Beermen as he totalled 27 points and 12 rebounds. Recent Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Player of the Conference (BPC) Philippine Cup awardee Jun Mar Fajardo contributed 19, while Arwind Santos and Von Pessumal contributed 11 each.
NorthPort now stands at 4 wins and 1 loss, while San Miguel is now at 0-1 after their first game back after scoring their fifth straight Philippine Cup title at the end of May.
Batang Pier Head Coach Pido Jarencio admitted that it’s an “off night for San Miguel,” saying, “I just said, once we got on court, we were aggressive. We just keep on attacking.” He added, “Maybe San Miguel is still on vacation mode. My team needs a win because the conference is short. For us, our goal is to reach the top.”
Coach Pido’s team will aim for a back-to-back win as they face the Magnolia Hotshots at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, June 12, while the Beermen have their second game of the season in store at the Ynares Center in Antipolo against Talk N’ Text on Saturday, June 8.