William Navarro drops career-high 31 points as NorthPort pummels Terrafirma

William Navarro delivered a career-high performance, guiding NorthPort to an impressive 112-93 victory over Terrafirma and securing their place in the Group A standings of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday, August 23.

The 27-year-old forward was unstoppable in the second half, racking up 24 of his total 31 points as the Batang Pier unleashed a punishing 19-3 run that spanned the final two quarters, establishing crucial separation and recovering from their disappointing season opener.

With just a minute left in the third quarter and NorthPort leading by a slim seven-point margin at 77-70, Navarro ignited the offense, scoring 11 of the team’s next 19 points during a blazing stretch that culminated in a commanding 98-73 lead early in the final frame.

From that point forward, NorthPort never relinquished their advantage, leaving Terrafirma still searching for answers as they fell to 0-2 in the season.

Arvin Tolentino, known for his scoring prowess, shifted gears to become a facilitator, contributing a near triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, complemented by three steals and a block.

Returning import Venky Jois validated NorthPort’s decision to bring him back, replacing Taylor Johns, by putting up an impressive stat line of 16 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists.

In their opening match, NorthPort narrowly fell to TNT with a 101-95 defeat, despite Johns’ remarkable near triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists.

Juami Tiongson rebounded from his previous lackluster performance with 19 points, although he still appeared to be out of sync with offseason acquisition Christian Standhardinger, who, following a solid debut, struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with just 10 points.

For Terrafirma, Stanley Pringle continued to stand out, following up his first game with 19 points by adding another commendable performance of 17 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.

Kevin Ferrer chipped in with 13 points, while import Antonio Hester was overshadowed by his counterpart, managing only 13 points and 11 rebounds in an underwhelming outing.

The scores:

Northport 112 – Navarro 31, Jois 16, Munzon 14, Tolentino 10, Amores 8, Jalalon 8, Yu 7, Nelle 6, Tratter 5, Cuntapay 3, Bulanadi 2, Flores 2, Taha 0.

Terrafirma 93 – Tiongson 19, Pringle 17, Hester 13, Ferrer 13, Standhardinger 10, Carino 9, Cahilig 5, Hernandez 5, Ramos 2, Olivario 0.

Quarterscores: 30-20, 51-43, 85-70, 112-93.