Welcoat rips Shark in Game 1

What was expected to be a clash of the very best turned into a ghastly rout as defending champion Welcoat reasserted its supremacy over Shark, 72-59, unravelling a championship poise and maturity in Game One of their best-of-seven showdown for the PBL Challenge Cup yesterday at the Makati Coliseum.

It was decisive and complete a kill as the Paint Masters behind the tall Yancy de Ocampo and the ever reliable Ren Ren Ritualo imposed their will on the embattled Power Boosters in the last two periods.

"We just showed them we're the defending champion but I was surprised to see the team win this big. I don't know what happened to Shark but that’s their problem," said Welcoat coach Junel Baculi.

Ahead by only five at 35-30 at the break, the Paint Masters stepped up their bid returning from the halftime huddle, and went on to dominate the Power Boosters.

Welcoat led by as many as 18 points, 66-48, while crashing the boards and pounding the woeful free-throw shooting of Shark.

The Paint Masters lorded it over the boards with 41 rebounds to the Power Boosters' 32. And Welcoat watched Shark muff 13 of 23 charities.

In Game One of the best-of-three playoff for third place, Montana Pawnshop relied on a big third-quarter run to scuttle Blu Sun Power, 70-59.

Jacques Gottenbos and Gilbert Lao ignited a blistering third-quarter attack that turned a close contest into a ghastly rout, sending the Jewellers to within a win of the second runner-up honors.