Shell outlasts P’foods

Shell bucked the early ouster of import Marek Ondera due to an injured right ankle and toppled Purefoods on sheer guts, 94-91, in a Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Conference road game at the Lagao Gym in Gen. Santos City last night.

Ondera sat out the last 17 minutes of play after hurting his right ankle on a bad fall but the Turbochargers kept their fighting spirit, outlasting the Hotdogs in a close game for only their first win in three starts in the PBA transition tourney.

The Hotdogs suffered a second straight loss after winning their first game against the Coca-Cola Tigers as Reggie Butler huffed and puffed in his debut with the team.

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio even opted to play all-Filipino in the last four minutes of the contest. Butler, a former Xavier University mainstay, arrived in the country only last Wednesday.

A missed three-pointer by James Yap and only a split from the stripe by Kerby Raymundo in the last 20 seconds of play allowed the Turbochargers to complete the win in the game watched by a full-house crowd in the Gen. Santos City playing venue.

Working on a fluid-motion game, the Turbochargers took a 22-19 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched it to 53-45 at the half.

The Hotdogs actually surged ahead, 39-36, midway through the second quarter on June Peter Simon’s clutch baskets. But the Turbochargers regained control going into the final half as Rensy Bajar and Marek Ondera teamed up in a fiery closing run in the period.

The Turbochargers outscored the Hotdogs, 9-0, on fastbreaks in the first 24 minutes of play.

Ondera had 15 and Bajar eight for Shell while Simon had 13 for Purefoods in the first half.

Fiesta Conference action resumes tomorrow with another double-header at the PhilSports Arena. Talk n Text takes on FedEx at 4:10 p.m. then Barangay Ginebra tackles San Miguel Beer at 6:30 p.m.