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Talk 'N Text stops Barako Bull's unbeaten run

Barako Bull finally found its match in the form of formidable Talk ’N Text.

Locals Jayson Castro and Larry Fonacier delivered clutch buckets in the stretch as the Tropang Texters stopped the unbeaten run of the Energy on Friday night 80-75 and put their PBA Commissioners Cup campaign back on track at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

With import Richard Howell slowed down by foul woes, Castro and Fonacier—a pair of Gilas Pilipinas standouts—stepped up to the challenge as they drilled in two triples each that served as timely extinguishers to keep the Solomon Alabi-led Barako Bull fightback.

The 5-foot-11 Castro led four other locals in double figures with a team-high 16 markers, spiked by four treys, while the 6-foot-8 Howell hauled down 18 rebounds on top of 11 markers while trying to slow down the 7-foot-1 Alabi, who had a dominant 20-20 performance of 21 points and 24 rebounds—both game-highs.

However, Alabi failed to get enough local support, with reserve guard Carlo Lastimosa scattering 16 points—but surprisingly didn’t see action in the payoff canto.

Aside from stopping the Energy’s three-game winning streak, the Texters also bounced back from an 83-91 setback dealt by sister team and pace-setting Meralco (4-0) last Feb. 4 and improved their record to 3-1, tying their latest victim in the process.

After giving up the first six points, Talk ’N Text seized control majority of the first half, even leading by as many as 11 points and taking a 47-37 cushion at the break.

But Barako Bull, with Lastimosa taking charge, came back to life in the third canto behind a 16-5 run, putting the Energy on top at 53-52.

However, former Barako Bull star Willie Miller knocked down a pair of big triples to help Talk ’N Text regain control, his last three shoving them back at 62-57 and enabling them to take a three-point cushion into the fourth.

Then Alabi, a former NBA veteran, repeatedly muscled his way in the lane and helped the Energyget back into the thick of things and, with the help of guard Chico Lanete, enabled Barako to tie things up at 69-all midway in the payoff period.

But Castro knocked down the first of his two triples in the fourth that sparked a decisive 10-4 run in a four-minute stretch, giving them a six-point cushion going to the final two minutes.

The Energy had several chances to stay within striking distance but wingman JC Intal missed a pair of crucial lay-ups in the closing seconds that hastened their downfall.

The Main Man: Jayson Castro once again proved why he is the Texters’ top weapon as he scattered a team-high 16 points, seven of them coming in the payoff canto.

Honorable Mention: Also shining for the Texters were the likes of Larry Fonacier, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Willie Miller and Ranidel De Ocampo.

Game Turning Point: After Lanete scored on a lay-up and tied things up at 69-all, Castro scored seven in the Texters’ decisive 10-4 counterattack, giving them enough cushion heading into the final two minutes.

Stat of the Game: The Energy apparently shot themselves on the foot by missing 11 of their 23 attempts from the the foul line, including eight in the second half.

He Said It:
TNT coach Jong Uichico: We still have to get better. We have to find ways to score more.


The scores:
TALK N' TEXT 80 - Castro 16, Rosser 15, Miller 13, De Ocampo 11, Howell 11, Fonacier 10, Alas 4, Washington 0, Carey 0, Labagala 0, Espiritu 0, Reyes R. J. 0, Aban 0.

BARAKO 75 - Alabi 21, Lastimosa 16, Pascual 12, Garcia 8, Intal 7, Lanete 5, Wilson 4, Marcelo 2, Chua 0, Salvador 0, Hubalde 0, Salva 0, Paredes 0, Sorongon 0.
Quarterscores: 25-19, 47-37, 62-59, 80-75

Next Games:
Talk ’N Text versus Barangay Ginebra on Feb. 15 at the MOA Arena
Barako Bull versus GlobalPort on Feb. 18 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum