By Diego de la Paz
CUBAO, Philippines (Eagle News) – Import James White led the way for Mahindra hung tough to defeat Star in overtime, 108-103, in their debut in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The 22-year old White, the youngest among imports who is fresh off a one-and-done appearance at Georgia Tech, flourished with 22 points and eight rebounds in his PBA debut. Aldrech Ramos added 17 points, while Iranian reinforcement Iman Zandi, battling the flu days prior to the match, finished with 15.
This was Mahindra’s second win in five meetings between the two teams since the team joined the league last season. Its first win over the Purefoods franchise came on February 15, 2015 when it was under the Kia Carnival banner to the tune of a 95-84 win.
Newly-installed Mahindra Head Coach Chris Gavina said that the team’s win is a shot in the arm for their fledging campaign. In their previous two conferences under then-Head Coach Chito Victolero, the team failed to advance to the playoff rounds – finishing 11th in the Philippine Cup and ninth in the Commissioner’s Cup.
“It was a great effort from my guys. Our long preparation really nurtured our efforts in this game. Our coaching staff is still figuring out our rotations,” said Gavina, whose six year experience in the league included a stop with Globalport as assistant coach.
“For our team, this early win is a big confidence booster for everybody. It lets everyone know that we belong. We hope it brings more fans,” he added.
Mahindra did not trail by double digits at any point of the match, but got the energy from White – who put up 10 of his total during the fourth quarter – to force the match into overtime.
Returning import Marqus Blakely put up 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Mark Barroca tallied 15 and Peter June Simon added 12 in a losing cause. This is the third straight conference under Jason Webb that Star has failed to win its opening match.