LIGHTS OUT: Ahanmisi fires four four-pointers

Magnolia returned to its winning ways via a walk in the park, a 124–103 dismantling of freefalling Terrafirma in Group A of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Jerrick Ahanmisi did the most damage as he was lights out from the outside, hitting four four-pointers and two triples in leading the Hotshots to their second win in four games.

The eagle-eyed sniper, who went scoreless in Magnolia’s 88-82 loss to TNT in the previous game, finished with 24 points on four-of-eight four-point shooting and two-of-three treys.

“We did very well with a strong start. We played on our pace, and I think our defense dictated the game right away,” Hotshots coach Chito Victolero said after his wards added more woes to the winless Dyip, who went down by 38 points in the second period.

The game was so lopsided after the first two quarters that Terrafirma coach Johnedel Cardel decided to sit out import Antonio Hester, who scored only two points, in the second half and went all-Filipino.

It ignited a fire from under the Dyip’s locals led by Stanley Pringle and Christian Standhardinger as they played better offensively in the second half and even brought their deficit down to 18 in the fourth. But it wasn’t enough to save Terrafirma from a fourth straight defeat.

“Although in the second half, we relaxed a bit. That’s why they scored, I think, more than 30 points per quarter in the second half,” Victolero added.

“But other than what happened in the second half, I’m very happy.”

Glen Robinson III had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Zav Lucero scored 15, Ian Sangalang added 14, Pau Lee had 13 points, nine assists and five rebounds while Joseph Eriobu had 12 garbage time points for Magnolia, which had 33 assists.

Terrafirma outscored Magnolia in the third quarter, 32-23, but Ahanmisi opened the final period with a quadruple followed by a triple off great feeds from Lee.

Standhardinger cut the Dyip’s deficit to 95-77 with 8:43 left but Magnolia answered with five straight points capped by an Ahanmisi trey with 7:52 left.

It was all Hotshots right from the get-go as they pounced on the Dyip’s lethargic outing and raced to a 34-13 lead at the end of the first 12 minutes of action.

Magnolia continued its pounding of Terrafirma in the second canto and even turned it into a 38-point separation, 60-22, after Sangalang got a bucket underneath off an assist by Mark Barroca with 4:50 left.

The Hotshots, who shot 23-of-42 from the field and shared the ball well with 18 assists in the first half, entered the break leading by a mile, 63-32.

Making matters worse for the Dyip was the left hamstring injury suffered by lead guard Juami Tiongson in the closing seconds of the first quarter.

Things weren’t going well for Terrafirma as it also lost Kenmark Carino in the second quarter after hurting his groin.

Both sat out the rest of the game.

Magnolia’s 31-point margin at halftime was the biggest by any team since Phoenix led Dyip, 67-30, at the break of its 135-84 rout back in the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup.

Pringle had 23 points, Standhardinger made 22 while rookie Paolo Hernandez added 18 highlighted by three four-pointers for Terrafirma.

The score:

MAGNOLIA (124) — Ahanmisi 24, Robin III 20, Lucero 15, Sangalang 14, Lee 13, Eriobu 12, Balanza 7, Barroca 6, Laput 6, Dionisio 4, Abueva 3, Mendoza 0, Reavis 0, Dela Rosa 0, Alfaro 0.

TERRAFIRMA (103) — Pringle 23, Standhardinger 22, Hernandez 18, Sangalang 9, Ramos 9, Ferrer 7, Hanapi 7, Cahilig 6, Hester 2, Tiongson 0, Olivario 0, Carino 0.

Quarters: 34-13, 63-32, 86-64, 124-103.