Playing minus Gilas Pilipinas shoo-ins and resident superstars; PBA MVP Jimmy Alapag, Jared Dillinger and another former PBA MVP Kelly Williams, the Texters rallied around their trademark defense paired with some sweet shooting courtesy of new import, the smallest of the current lot, 6”5 Tony Mitchell.
Just when everyone with half a basketball brain thought that Ginebra would be able to unleash the full fury of their 7”0 monster Vernon Macklin, the Texters showed the locals could take care of business on their own. Ranidel de Ocampo was Macklin’s primary defender, but then came a barrage of Texters’ reserve big men in Rich Alvarez, John Ferriols and the ever-reliable Ali Peek (who’s coming off a back injury) not to mention the great adjustment made by Coach Norman Black.
