The Star Hotshots finally hit their strides once again, snapping out of a slump to hurdle the GlobalPort Batang Pier, 109-83, and get back into contention for the Top Four in the PBA Governors Cup elims at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.
Playing with a sense of urgency, the Hotshots pummeled the Batang Pier in each quarter for the emphatic victory that ended their three-game slide.
Making things easier for the Hotshots were the sub-par games of GlobalPort main men Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo.
Pringle struggled with a 2-of-15 shooting in his return from a layoff.
Putting the defensive and rebounding effort lacking in their games in their last three outings, the Hotshots got back on the winning track and caught up with the San Miguel Beermen and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 5-3.
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The Batang Pier, meanwhile, suffered a third straight loss and fell deeper down the chart with a 3-6 mark at ninth place.
"Must-win yung game na ito sa amin in order for us to have a chance at the Top Four. And I'm happy the guys played with a great resolve," said Star coach Chito Victolero.
"The guys stepped up on defense and rebounding. Yung ang problema namin. Tinalo yata kami by average of 15 to 16 rebounds in our three losses. We addressed that problem in this game," Victolero added.
Malcolm Hill and his teammates hit at a 49-percent shooting while holding the Batang Pier down to a mere 36-percent clip.
Hill fired away 32 points and added 12 rebounds while Ian Sangalang collected 17 markers and 10 boards in his own double-double outing.
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The other Star core players had significant contributions as they utterly dominated the Batang Pier, leading by as many as 26 at 109-83 before eventually wrapping up the win.
With the win in the bag, Victolero broke in new trade recruits Kyle Pascual and Bam Gamalinda.
Pascual hit a free throw and snared a rebound while Gamalinda made one block.
Murphey Holloway paced the Batang Pier with 20 markers and 17 boards.
The Hotshots buckled down to work right away, seizing control right in the get-go then taking the half at 48-38.
