GlobalPort's Terrence Romeo raises his MVP trophy as he and his North teammates Arwind Santos, LA Tenorio and Beau Belga celebrate their come-from-behind victory over the South in the 2015 PBA All-Star Game at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum. Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette
MANILA — GlobalPort sophomore Terrence Romeo showed to one and all that he is now one of the brightest stars of the PBA as he led the North squad to a scintillating come-from-behind 166-161 victory over the South in the PBA All-Star Game Sunday at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum. Romeo bagged the MVP award for the game after scoring 30 points, including back-to-back three-pointers late in the game that allowed the North to grab the lead for good. On Friday, he pumped in 50 points for the Sophomores who lost to the Rookies, 150-131, in one of the All-Stars side events. The MVP trophy awarded to Romeo was actually his second award of the All-Star weekend as the GlobalPort hotshot also won the Three-Point Shootout title Friday. Alaska's top gunner Calvin Abueva also contributed in the North's victory, leading all scorers with 37 points on top of 16 rebounds and seven assists. But the MVP award went to Romeo by virtue of his fourth quarter heroics that turned the game around for the North. Barangay Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar added 25 points, San Miguel Beer's Arwind Santos posted 24 while Purefoods' Marc Pingris chipped in with 19 for the North. Purefoods' Peter June Simon was the top scorer for the South with 24 points, while Barangay Ginebra's Greg Slaughter and Rain or Shine's Jeff Chan finished with 22 markers each. The combined scores of the North and South shattered the PBA All-Star team scoring records as the biggest stars of the league put on a shooting exhibition. At halftime, the league paid tribute to Jimmy Alapag who is retiring as a player in the league. He now serves as the team manager of Talk N Text. Alapag capped his PBA playing career by dishing out 12 points and a record-breaking 17 assists for the South. He shattered the All-Star assist record he himself established in 2006 when he posted 16 assists during that year's All-Star game in Cagayan de Oro City. After being down by as many as 17 points, the North grabbed the lead, 95-94, after an Aguilar dunk early in the third quarter. But Slaughter asserted his might under the basket as the South regained a double-digit lead, 135-125, heading into the fourth quarter. Led by Romeo and Abueva, the North then unleashed an 18-2 run as they got back the lead, 143-137. A three-pointer from Alapag and a layup from Alaska's Cyrus Baguio cut the North's lead to just four, 165-161, with just a few seconds left. Romeo then put the finishing touch to the North victory with a free throw. Games Wednesday: Blackwater Elite vs. Alaska Aces; Barangay Ginebra Kings vs. NLEX Road Warriors.
