B Pier beef up, enlist Enforcers guard

MANILA, Philippines -  GlobalPort has firmed up its wing roster with the acquisition of 6-foot-2 Mahindra shooting guard/small forward Karl Dehesa even as the team remains in search of a replacement to head coach Pido Jarencio.

 The Batang Pier expect to improve their scoring sock with the entry of Dehesa, a sophomore PBA player who was Mahindra’s third best local scorer in the Oppo Commissioner’s Cup with an average of 11.2 points.

The Fil-Am player from Waldorf College, a free agent acquisition of Mahindra from the Asean Basketball League, had been among the Enforcers’ core players, also averaging 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals in the mid-season tourney.

Dehesa is part of a trade deal – among GlobalPort, Mahindra and Blackwater – which is still subject to the approval of the PBA Commissioner’s Office,

GlobalPort is to acquire Dehesa while giving away Paolo Taha and rookie Roi Sumang in a trade deal with Mahindra.

Sumang will then end up with Blackwater which will cede Keith Agovida to Mahindra.

“The trade papers are now on their way to the Commissioner’s Office,” said GlobalPort top official Erick Arejola.

Taha, a former St. Benilde stalwart in the NCAA, had noticeable improvements in his second year in the pros, submitting decent averages of 9.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assist in 10 games in the Commissioner’s Cup.

GlobalPort, Mahindra and Blackwater are still finding ways to improve their lineups in the hope of making a major breakthrough in the league soon.

The Batang Pier moved as far as the semifinals in the recent Philippine Cup then crashed back to earth in the next conference. Blackwater made a first playoff appearance also in the all- Filipino tourney then bombed out early in the Commissioner’s Cup. Mahindra has yet to make it past the elimination-round phase even once.

Mahindra has tapped a new coach in Chris Gavina while GlobalPort is still in search of one.

In their farewell game in the Commissioner’s Cup, the Batang Pier topped the Phoenix Fuel Masters, 125-118, with assistant coach Johnedel Cardel calling the shots for the team.

Jarencio has moved up to a different position in the GlobalPort squad that returns to practice on May 25.

The Batang Pier, stymied with injuries to Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo, finished with a poor 3-8 win-loss record in the Commissioner’s Cup.