Magnolia became the undisputed king of the PBA on Tour, taking down Terrafirma Dyip, 106-92, to complete an 11-game sweep of the pre-season exhibition tournament at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan on Monday, July 26.
*Joseph Eriobu makes case for a permanent roster spot with Magnolia following a strong showing in the PBA on Tour (PBA Images)
* With the Dyip staying too close for comfort, Joseph Eriobu provided the spark as the Hotshots created the much needed separation with a pivotal 14-2 run bridging the last two quarters to put a strong end to their splendid pre-season campaign. Eriobu, who was making a case for a permanent spot in the Hotshots' lineup after getting elevated from Magnolia’s 3x3 team, unloaded seven of his 15 points during the crucial stretch while frontcourt partner James Laput also capped his impressive pre-season with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Mark Barroca and Jio Jalalon provided the leadership in the absence of veterans Paul Lee and Ian Sangalang. Barroca finished with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists while Jalalon, despite only scoring three points, turned to his teammates with his 12 assists on top of eight boards. The game looked to be on its way to a grindout affair with Terrafirma sticking close to Magnolia, even tying the game at 69-all late in the third frame. Eriobu, however, had other things in mind, drilling a late triple just before the end of the period to give the Hotshots a three-point cushion heading into the final frame. That triple proved to be the spark Magnolia needed as Eriobu, Laput and Aris Dionisio all joined hands to establish a double-digit spread, 83-71 early in the final frame. The Dyip would cut the lead down to single digits several times but never really unleashed a rally enough to threaten the Hotshots. Javi Gomez de Llano and Andreas Cahilig led the way for the Dyip with 14 points apiece but were not enough as Terrafirma closed out the pre-season tiff with a 4-7 record.