Pals snare Dragons for Chot’s first win

Chot Reyes booked his first win as head coach of Talk N Text, and it came in the form of a 36-point victory over Welcoat, 131-95, last night in the PBA Smart Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

Reyes, who took over from Derrick Pumaren, had his Talk N Text debut spoiled by Coca-Cola, 87-79, in Davao del Norte last Saturday. But against Welcoat, there was no way he could lose a second one.

“It was a good win. There are times when we struggle but we have to be patient. The important thing is we’re learning,” said Reyes, who called the shots for the RP Team before landing the job with Talk N Text.

“My first practice with this team was on Feb. 4. So this is our second month anniversary. It’s still a long way to go. My players are adjusting, and I’m adjusting. It’s a new system,” he said.

Import Aaron McGhee, at 6-foot-8 and 250 lbs, played a steady game for Talk N Text, putting up 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks to lead five other teammates scoring in double figures.

For Welcoat, it was the second loss in as many outings, the first coming last Sunday against Air 21, 105-96. It was their second loss, too, under coach Caloy Garcia who replaced Leo Austria.

Welcoat trailed early in the game, 10-2, but even got the taste of the lead a couple of times late in the opening period. In the second quarter the Dragons fell behind by 15 points, and in the third by 20.

Jay-R Reyes topscored for Welcoat with 21 points while imports Corey Santee and Jason Keep finished with 19 and 8, respectively, their efforts failing to spark the team to victory.

The 6-foot-10 Keep is on the way out. If his replacement, Marquise Gainous, arrives in time for Wednesday’s game against Coca-Cola, last night’s should be his last for Welcoat.

With the loss, Welcoat also suffered a casualty in Joey Mente, the high-flying 32-year-old veteran who fell hard to the floor in the third quarter and was wheeled out of the court.

Inside the dugout, as medical personnel attended to him, Mente complained of numbness near his tailbone, and difficulty standing a few minutes after he took the fall.

“I fell and was still able to get up. I even defended in the ensuing play. It was when I was recalled to the bench when I started to feel the pain,” said Mente inside the dugout, still on the stretcher.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has decided to stick it out with import Calvin Cage who suffered an ankle injury last Saturday, and would need at least a month to recover.

The 5-foot-9 Cage, one of two imports for Coca-Cola, was asked to stay on as he tries to recover from the injury. His partner, Jason Dixon, and the rest of his teammates will have to work doubly hard in his absence.

“We will do what we can to fill the gap that Calvin leaves, hopefully temporarily,” said Coca-Cola governor JB Baylon. “He’s staying here. We are taking care of him. We will do what we can to ensure his speedy recovery and return.”