Aris Dionisio ended the third quarter with a buzzer-beating triple and Magnolia celebrated wildly on the bench as if he nailed a shot that gave them the lead for the first time in the contest.

That time, the Hotshots led by a wide margin for the entirety of the game and the shot actually pushed the lead to 34 points heading into the final frame.

That exact sequence was a testament to the mentality head coach Chito Victolero was trying to instill to the still undefeated Magnolia – relentless and merciless from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

After limiting NorthPort to a measly eight points in the opening quarter, Magnolia showed no let up and kept on pounding on the hapless opponent even when the lead was seemingly already far out of reach.

When the dust settled, it was a 38-point demolition of the erstwhile fellow unbeaten NorthPort, 112-74.

“Nagbi-build kami ng killer instinct sabi ni coach kasi every time na up kami nung preseason yung mga tuneup game nagre-relax kami especially nung third quarter so nagbi-build kami ng character,” said Mark Barroca, who was one of the prime reasons behind the lopsided win.

Barroca, who only had six points in the first half, embodied the killer instinct and poured 11 in the last two quarters even when NorthPort did not really put up a threat.

It wasn’t him alone. 

Tyler Bey finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the locals made sure to have their share in the rout with Paul Lee adding 16 points and Ian Sangalang and Jio Jalalon added 11 points apiece.

“Killer instinct na kapag lamang kami kailangan pukpok pa rin. Consistency kasi yun ‘yung magiging edge namin sa ibang team, yung magpapa-greater team sa team na ito, kung ganun yung start from finish ganun yung gagawin,” Barocca said.

Victolero was just glad to see his wards heeding the call and playing hard on both ends of the floor for the full 48 minutes of the game.

“Credit to the players, I’m very proud. They are so focused. We have that mindset na we have to  play for 48 minutes against this team because we know this is a very hard game for us,” he added. 

“The preparation was so intense and focus that’s why credit to the players because they are playing very well not just one player but also the whole team,” he added.