Titan Ultra clobbers Terrafirma in PBA On Tour PUP stop

John Amores and Titan Ultra blew by Terrafirma in a prelude to a crucial Oct. 17 showdown with major PBA Draft implications. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA—Titan Ultra made quick work of Terrafirma for a 108-83 win in a PBA On Tour game on Wednesday at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Gym inside its main campus here.

The Giant Risers took advantage of the Dyip only giving import Justin Strings and veteran guard Maverick Ahanmisi very limited playing time and quickly pulled away from them.

Despite being on the losing side of the result, which will not count in their official PBA Governors' Cup standings even if both teams are in the same group, Geo Chiu is glad to see some resemblance to a home-and-away format in the PBA On Tour's PUP leg.

"First of all, we would like to thank PBA and PUP for giving us the opportunity to play sa court niyo. It's a really nice court, and the crowd was really nice. It's something na you really experience—yung mga home and away," said Chiu, who already had some dose of home-and-away action in the B.League One and MPBL before getting drafted first overall in last year's PBA Draft.

Both teams will face off again in an official PBA Governors' Cup game on Oct. 17, and many speculate that the said clash could ultimately impact the order of next year's draft.

At halftime, the PBA and PUP honored the university's alumni who are now among the league's employees and have been serving the league well.

The three referees who worked on the exhibition match also graduated from PUP.

"Ito po ay mga produkto ninyo," Commissioner Willie Marcial said during the halftime ceremony.

"Malaking bagay sila sa PBA, kaya nagpapasalamat kami sa PUP na nakarating sila sa PBA."

With the second PBA On Tour PUP stop now part of the league's colorful 51-year history, Marcial promised that a third installment will happen at a later time.