NorthPort takes Game 1

NorthPort on Saturday night continues its impressive run in the PBA Governors’ Cup as it demolished Barangay Ginebra, 124-90 in Game 1 of their best-of-five semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Import Michael Qualls capped the night with 38 points — including 27 in the first half — as the Batang Pier drew first blood and did not show rust from the 17-day break the eighth-seed team had after upsetting top-seed NLEX in the quarterfinals.

A blistering second quarter run was all NorthPort needed to frustrate Ginebra and despite the Gin Kings’ third-quarter comeback — where it was able to slice the gap to just one – the Batang Pier asserted their mastery en route to the 34-point win.

Garvo Lanete was also on fire in the second half and finished with 24 points while Christian Standhardinger had 16 points and 15 rebounds for NorthPort.

Batang Pier head coach Pido Jarencio, however, quickly downplayed their victory, saying that the Gin Kings are still weary from the stint of the team’s core from the Southeast Asian Games where they played for Gilas Pilipinas.

Justin Brownlee had 24 points and 19 rebounds, while Stanley Pringle had 21 points.