EASL: Hiroshima becomes 2nd team to qualify for Final Four Spot
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Pringle, Terrafirma put down the mighty Tropang Giga
Being the number one team in the league right now, the TNT Tropang Giga was expected to dominate the winless Terrafirma but the Stanley Pringle and the Dyip have other plans.
Pringle led the bottom team to upset the top team to notch their first win of the tournament, 84-72, on Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The shifty guard produced 15 of his total 18 points in the fourth quarter including 10 straight that inspired his teammates to give their best until the final buzzer.
Photo Courtesy: PBA Images
"We all stood together. At first everybody gets frustrated. Then after a while, we kept losing. And we were just like, 'hey were losing.' We might as well have fun and keep working hard," said the 37-year-old Pringle.
Terrafirma has now ended an 18-game losing streak against TNT. The last win of the franchise against the Tropang Giga was eight years ago already when then-Mahindra Enforcer defeated the KaTropa, 107-104, in the 2016 Governors’ Cup on August 26.
What made the win sweeter for the Dyip was the run they did in the game was the time that import Antonio Hester sat on the bench dealing with a hand injury. Hester still wound up with 22 markers and 10 boards.
Meanwhile, the Tropang Giga succumbed to their second defeat of the tourney in a virtually no-bearing game for them as they already secured the top spot in Group A and is set to face the seed fourth team from the other bracket come quarterfinals.
As usual, import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led TNT with his all-around game producing an almost triple-double performance tallying 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine steals.
Roger Pogoy, the only local player who supported RHJ with double-digit scoring added 23.
Terrafirma will have their final say of the conference on Saturday when they face the Meralco Bolts at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while TNT is set to battle NorthPort Batang Pier on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The scores:
TERRAFIRMA 84 – Hester 22, Pringle 18, Sangalang 10, Cahilig 8, Ramos 7, Hanapi 7, Hernandez 6, Ferrer 2, Olivario 2, Carino 2.
TNT 72 – Hollis-Jefferson 25, Pogoy 23, Oftana 5, Erram 4, Varilla 3, Nambatac 3, Payawal 3, Williams 2, Castro 2, Khobuntin 2, Vosotros 0, Heruela 0, Exciminiano 0.
Quarters: 15-18; 32-36; 50-57; 84-72.
