It was a quarterfinal entry nearly eight years in the making for Terrafirma.
Juami Tiongson and Stephen Holt uncorked the biggest baskets as Terrafirma edged NorthPort, 104-96, to clinch the last quarterfinal berth in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, May 8.
The dynamic duo scored a pair of and-one plays in the final two minutes of action, the last coming from Holt with 39.5 ticks left which iced the Dyip's first playoff appearance since the 2016 Governor's Cup or after 16 conferences.
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But it was Javi Gomez de Liano who set up the stage for that, unloading 10 points in a 13-2 run at the start of the fourth that gave Terrafirma a 92-88 lead with nearly eight minutes left to play.
Stephen Holt tries to get past defender Joshua Munzon in Terrafirma's knockout match against NorthPort on Wednesday, May 8. | Photo (c) PBA
The Dyip never looked back as they asserted their mastery over the Batang Pier whom they beat via a 110-108 squeaker last April 24.
Tiongson fired 30 big points he complemented with five rebounds and three assists, while Holt logged 18 points, eight rebounds and nine assists for a near triple-double. The Fil-Am rookie hotshot also had four steals.
Gomez de Liano scored 21 points built on three triples and grabbed seven rebounds.
"I'm coming off from a two-game slump. I'm shooting bad. I told myself, kailangang bumawi. They need me. Minsan lang 'tong ganitong opportunity," said Gomez de Liano, who earned Player of the Game honors.
The Batang Pier did not go down without a fight, though.
Newbie Cade Flores led an uprising in the final four minutes, dropping six straight points for NorthPort to close in, 98-86, with still 1:42 to go.
That’s when Tiongson and Holt took charge, with the former scoring on an off-the-glass shot against Fran Yu from the left elbow before Holt slipped past Joshua Munzon and canned the bonus free throw to settle the final score and secure the eighth ranking for Terrafirma.
But the job is not yet done for the Dyip as they are set to clash with top-seeded powerhouse San Miguel on Saturday, May 11, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Scores:
TERRAFIRMA 104 – Tiongson 30, Gomez de Liano 21, Holt 18, Go 13, Ramos 7, Carino 7, Sangalang 4, Alolino 2, Calvo 2, Camson 0, Mina 0, Cahilig 0
NORTHPORT 96 – Lucero 17, Flores 16, Munzon 15, Tolentino 13, Zamar 10, Navarro 9, Amores 7, Yu 4, Rosales 2, Cuntapay 2, Adamos 1, Bulanadi 0, Chan 0
Quarterscores: 27-33, 55-54, 82-81, 104-96