Caguioa helps rampaging Ginebra to 6th straight win

Mark Caguioa scored 14 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to power Barangay Ginebra to its sixth straight win as it topped slumping Barako Bull, 90-78, on Wednesday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. Holding on to a slim 62-58 lead after three quarters, the Gin Kings leaned on Caguioa’s offensive onslaught in the final period to improve to a 7-2 win-loss mark. The 6-foot-2 spitfire guard, who also played big in the fourth in Ginebra’s last game, once again showed his old fiery form when he made 10 of the team’s first 12 fourth-quarter points, capped by a triple with 7:01 left to give the Kings a 74-66 spread. The Energy Boosters managed to keep in step with the Kings for three quarters but could not stop Caguioa’s scoring rampage in the fourth. “It was kind of a slow start for us in the first half and we got going in the second half, especially in the fourth. We executed better on offense and played effectively in the second half," said Caguioa, who also had six rebounds and three assists. “We struggled at the start. That’s what we were afraid o,f that we might take Barako lightly. We were able to make a run towards the end of the game, just like in our last game. We’re lucky just to be able to make a run at the end. We made shots at the end," said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico. As the hottest team presently, Ginebra has posted a six-game winning run, the longest by any team in the season-opening conference. “It’s good that we won it, and we can look forward to Sunday’s game," said Uichico, whose squad will face an acid test on Sunday against sister team San Miguel. Ronald Tubid paced Ginebra with a game-high 19 points with five rebounds, while Willie Miller added 10 markers and eight boards. Barako dropped its fourth straight game to slip further down at the bottom of the standings with a 2-7 mark. Sunday Salvacion paced the Energy Boosters with 15 points and six rebounds while Paolo Hubalde chipped in 14 in another losing effort. It was the Kings’ second win against the Energy Boosters this conference, after a 93-74 rout last month. That victory actually started Ginebra's winning run. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV