Meralco snaps losing skid against Rain or Shine

MANILA, Philippines – The Meralco Bolts survived the best game of the season so far for James Yap to beat the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 82-72, and end their 6-game losing streak on Friday, January 20, at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.

In what was a low-scoring, tough-shooting performance by both teams, a 35-20 blitz to open the game’s first 20 minutes allowed Meralco to build a lead it held on to for the game to secure the victory.

Cliff Hodge had himself quite the afternoon with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks, while Chris Newsome had 19 points, 6 assists, and 4 boards as Meralco improved to 3-7 and stayed in the playoff hunt.

Yap had 17 points to lead all Rain or Shine scorers, while Jewel Ponferada spotted 11 points and 7 rebounds off the bench. As a team, Rain or Shine shot only 30% from the field and went 14-of-22 from the foul stripe.

The Elasto Painters dropped their second straight game, falling to 5-4 in the standings. The team will aim to bounce back on January 29, a Sunday, against GlobalPort.

Meralco, on the other hand, will aim for a second straight win on Saturday, January 28, against Star. – Rappler.com