Newly acquired guard Alex Cabagnot scored 13 points, including crucial baskets in the homestretch, to lead the San Miguel Beermen to a 92-87 win against his former team, the Air 21 Express, Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference. Comebacking Best Import winner Gabe Freeman topscored for San Miguel with 23 points on top of 19 rebounds. But he fouled out with 2:47 left in the game, allowing the Express to come to within a point of tying the score, 87-88, on two free throws by new import Keena Young after being down by as many as 13 points. But Jay Washington also knocked in two free gift shots in the ensuing play to pad San Miguel's lead to three, 90-87, with 16 seconds left. Cabagnot then stole the ball and scooted for an unopposed layup to seal the win for the Beermen. Both teams sported new backcourt partners – Cabagnot and Joseph Yeo for San Miguel and Mike Cortez and Ren-Ren Ritualo for Air 21. San Miguel acquired Yeo from Sta. Lucia Realtors in exchange for Bonbon Custodio. On the other hand, Air 21 acquired Cortez from San Miguel and Ritualo from Talk N Text. Young paced the Express with 23 points and 21 rebounds. In the first match of the double-header, returning import James Penny exploded for 27 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four block shots to power the Coca-Cola Tigers to a 97-74 mauling of the Barako Coffee Energy Masters. Ironically, Penny was Barako Coffee's import when the franchise won the 2005-06 PBA Fiesta Cup. Gary David chipped in 17 points while Asi Taulava had 1 markers and nine rebounds for the Tigers. The Energy Masters were coming off a 97-93 win over the Sta. Lucia Realtors only three days ago. But Tigers overwhelmed them with a flurry of baskets in the final quarter to pull away for good. In that 12-minute span, the Tigers scored 32 points on t 14-of-20 shooting from the field. Barako Coffee's Sammy Monroe, who had 39 points and 11 rebounds in his PBA debut Sunday, struggled in the first half, missing his first 11 shots. He finished with 25 points, 22 coming in the second half, but shot just 8-of-26 from the field and had five turnovers.
