Harbour Centre upends Pharex in PBL opener

Pre-season favorite Harbour Centre drew solid games from returnee Reed Juntilla and its talented rookies as it repulsed Pharex, 83-66, yesterday to set in motion its ambitious six-peat bid in the PBL PG Flex Linoleum Cup at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Juntilla, back in the amateurs after a brief fling with Red Bull in the pros, fired 21 points including nine in the third quarter in sparking a decisive Harbour Centre breakaway.

The high-leaping Cebuano guard also came through with 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal as he stood his ground against Pharex Fil-Am recruit Chris Ross.

The 6-foot-1 Ross, a former Marshall U player in the US NCAA and picked No. 1 overall in this year’s PBL draft, debuted with 21 points, five assists, four boards and four steals.

Juntilla had the Far Eastern U boys to back him up.

Reil Cervantes had 14 points and six caroms, Andy Barroca had 11 points, five boards, four assists and two steals while JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos combined for eight points and nine rebounds.

“The FEU boys played really well for us on both ends,” said Harbour Centre coach Jorge Gallent.

“We tightened up on our defense in the middle of the third quarter, and that was the key in our breakaway,” Gallent also said.

The Generix, formerly the Medics, appeared to match up well with the Batang Pier, thanks largely to the efforts of the quick and athletic Ross.

Ross was impressive in his first official game on local soil, dazzling the crowd with daredevil moves, nifty passes and quick hands as the Generix even snared a 35-27 upper hand midway in the second quarter.

But he seemed to have one glaring weakness – he doesn’t have the long-range bombs that would have made him more dangerous.

The entire Pharex team missed 22 of its 25 attempts from behind the arc.

“They couldn’t make their outside shots, maybe that helped too,” said Gallent.