MANILA, Philippines – In the PBA Governors’ Cup on Thursday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, the Dyip defeated TNT 84-72, thanks in large part to Stanley Pringle’s decisive play in the closing minutes.

Terrafirma has no intention of leaving with a mere whine.

Pringle scored 10 of his 18 points in the final 5:48 of the game, which allowed Terrafirma to hold off TNT’s challenge and give the Dyip a comfortable 79-70 lead with just 1:39 remaining. Pringle scored on a variety of drives and from the stripe.

The Dyip went on to record their first victory in nine games, ending a losing run that eliminated them from contention for a quarterfinal spot and was interspersed by consecutive one-point defeats to Magnolia and Converge in their most recent games.

Coach Johnedel Cardel was even more thrilled that Terrafirma managed to play the final 6:55 minutes without import Antonio Hester, who suffered a left elbow injury during a rebounding fight.

Coach Johnedel Cardel was pleased with his team’s performance and credited their win to their defense and plan of playing a fast-paced game. He cited his players’ commitment to hard work, especially in defense, as a major contributing reason to their success. With only nine or ten players available for the game, the team was greatly outmatched, but they persevered and fought for their first victory of the season, which they eventually achieved.

Stanley Pringle appeared ready to join Terrafirma’s expanding list of injuries. Pringle has been dealing with a bothersome left knee ailment. Pringle, though, persevered well and went above and above to play a crucial part in the game. The 37-year-old guard mentioned that the physical strain of playing back-to-back games was the reason why his knee has been acting up. Pringle was able to practice his movement on the bench during Coach Cardel’s brief second-half rest period.

In Pringle’s absence, the team’s surviving players stepped up to keep the game at a high level. Pringle made a comeback to the court in the closing seconds, playing with tremendous energy and making a big impact on the team’s well-deserved win. His valiant efforts in the closing stages of the game enabled Terrafirma to secure their first victory, demonstrating the team’s tenacity and passion in the face of adversity.

The way Terrafirma performed demonstrated the value of cooperation, flexibility, and tenacity—especially when managing a squad devoid of players. Pringle’s efforts and his teammates’ dedication demonstrated the team’s capacity to overcome hardship and perform at a high level. Terrafirma will look to capitalize on this momentum as the season goes on, using the same perseverance and defensive concentration that helped them win. The victory sets a great tone for the upcoming games and is evidence of the team’s resiliency and capacity to overcome adversity.

Even though it was just TNT’s second loss in nine games, it didn’t really matter because it still led Group A heading into Sunday’s last elimination round matchup with NorthPort.

But this one should hurt since it looked like the Tropang Giga would win easily in a game when the Dyip made 24 mistakes, with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson stealing nine of those.

With 25 points and 11 rebounds, Hollis-Anderson also topped all scorers, while Roger Pogoy scored 23 points mostly from three-point range. TNT even had a 54-45 lead while the two were trading blows before their shooting woes finally caught up to them.

Hester led Terrafirma’s comeback from a 50-57 deficit in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points in a 13-4 run that put the Dyip ahead. Hester finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Scores at the end of the match

TERRAFIRMA with 84 points  for the win 

Individual scores: Hester 22, Pringle 18, Sangalang 10, Cahilig 8, Ramos 7, Hanapi 7, Hernandez 6, Olivario 2, Carino 2, Ferrer 2.

TNT 72 with 72 points

Individual scores: Hollis-Jefferson 25, Pogoy 23, Oftana 5, Erram 4, Nambatac 3, Payawal 3, Varilla 3, Castro 2, Khobuntin 2, Williams 2, Heruela 0, Vosotros 0, Exciminiano 0.

Scores per quarter

15-18, 32-36, 50-57, 84-72