It appears he’d be the Bolts’ reinforcement for the rest of the conference.
Worried sick after prolific import Su Braimoh went down with an Achilles injury, the Meralco Bolts scrambled to find a replacement.
Meralco couldn’t bring in EASL reinforcement Prince Ibeh since he is beyond the 6-foot-9 height limit. But, in their search for someone to fill in the void, the Bolts didn’t have to look far.
Enter Zach Lofton, who, like Ibeh, is one of the team’s reinforcements in the EASL. He was tapped as Meralco awaits a permanent import.
With Lofton leading the charge, the Bolts didn’t lose their spark and drubbed the NorthPort Batang Pier, 125-99, in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday.
The 6-foot-4 shifty guard finished with 54 points built on a fiery 9-for-19 shooting from the three-point area.
“I wanna step in and be the force that he (Braimoh) was,” Lofton said after Meralco picked up its fifth win in six games. “I wanna help them get the win and we did.”
In the first 24 minutes, it looked like the game between the two streaking teams would be decided in the final moments.
But Meralco had other plans. The Bolts turned a precarious 49-48 lead at intermission into a breakaway after putting up a defensive clinic in the third period.
Entering the fourth period, the Bolts already had a 92-64 buffer. They never looked back.
Meralco coach Luigi Trillo couldn’t help but be happy, adding they dedicate the victory to the fallen Braimoh, who actually leads the Best Import race.
“We’re happy with this. We dedicate this game to Su. He’s part of our family,” he said.
Asked about whether Lofton would be the Bolts' permanent import after his 54-point explosion, Trillo said nothing’s set in stone yet.
“We said two games, but with the way he’s playing, the option’s open. He opened the door,” he said.
“I have to talk to the coaching staff about do we move forward with this. If we’re rolling, we’re rolling, we stay with it, right? So, we’ll find out in the next few days,” Trillo added.
Another scintillating performance might just do the trick for Lofton.
(MDB)