WITH all their guns blazing down the homestretch, the Alaska Aces drubbed the Talk N Text Tropang Texters, 100-91, Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven finals of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup. Down by five points, 84-89, after a Mac-mac Cardona triple with 6:38 left in the game, the Aces uncorked a blistering 16-0 run as the Texters fell into a maze of errors – missing all their eight attempts at the basket during that period. With the Texters self-destructing, the Aces waxed even hotter. Joe De Vance and two-time Most Valuable Player Willie Miller buried consecutive baskets. Jeffrey Cariaso joined the scoring splurge, draining a three-pointer at the corner to complete Alaska's mighty comeback. De Vance led all scorers with 24 points, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. He also collared nine rebounds and dished out five assists. Game One hotshot LA Tenorio recorded his second career double-double with 17 points and 10 assists. After struggling in the first half, Miller found his range in the final quarter, scoring six straight points, grabbing two defensive rebounds and issuing an assist. Game Three of the Finals is set for Sunday also at the Araneta Coliseum. Alaska head coach Tim Cone gave much of the credit for the win to Miller. “He's the best closer in the game,” Cone said. The defeat was devastating for the Texters who previously had not suffered back-to-back losses since Dec. 14. Alaska center Sonny Thoss suffered a bloodied nose while trying to defend against Yancy de Ocampo. Despite the injury, he wound up with 14 points and six rebounds. After serving out his one-game suspension following a flagrant foul-penalty 2 in the semifinals, TNT forward Ranidel De Ocampo caught fire early as he scored a team-high 20 points. He also had six rebounds. The scores: Alaska 100 - De Vance 24, Tenorio 17, Cariaso 15, Thoss 14, Dela Cruz 9, Hugnatan 8, Miller 8, Ferriols 3, Fonacier 2. Talk N' Text 91 - De Ocampo R. 20, Ritualo 18, Cardona 16, Alapag 16, Carey 14, Castro 5, Peek 2, Dillinger 0, De Ocampo Y. 0. Quarters: 25-19, 54-55, 76-79, 100
