De Castro lifts Ana past Montaña five

Ana Freezers went to Ariel de Castro in the clutch as it eked out a scary 87-85 victory over hardluck Montaña Pawnshop yesterday in the 2001 PBL Challenge Cup at the Makati Coliseum.

De Castro fired 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter including a 15-foot jumper before time expired as he lifted the Freezer Makers to their third win in seven outings.

"We blew away a big lead early on because of overconfidence. But mental toughness saved us in the end," said Ana Freezers team owner-coach Rudy Mendoza.

Meanwhile, Chester Tolomia buried a triple at the buzzer as defending champion Shark Energy Drink escaped with a 78-76 win over rival Welcoat Paints. — Joey Villar