Phl Patriots halt skid, beat Heat

MANILA, Philippines - AirAsia Philippines snapped a two-game skid with a hard-fought 76-70 win over the Saigon Heat to stay second in the PG Plex Linoleum present AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

Al Vergara, the 5-foot-7 veteran guard, stood tall for the Phl Patriots as he banged in a triple that finally took the fight out of the fighting Saigon crew, 72-63, with 1:55 left.

Vergara finished with 11 points, six assists and four steals.

The win improved the Patriots’ record to 14-4, just half-a-game behind the frontrunning San Miguel Beermen (15-4).

“After two straight setbacks, this win was a big one, a morale-booster,” said coach Glenn Capacio. “But we can’t relax, instead we have to improve so that we can advance to the finals.”