No simple pleasures for Welcoat

MAGNOLIA would not even allow Welcoat some simple pleasures.

The Beverage Masters shattered the Dragons’ hopes of exiting with a smile, winning to the tune of 96-84 last night to earn at least a playoff slot for a quarterfinals berth in the Smart-PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Danny Seigle got away with 32 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and 11-of-13 from the free throw line, and Dorian Pena had 14 points and 20 rebounds for Magnolia, which improved to 10-8 and hoping the results of other teams fighting for quarterfinals slots favor them.

"The good part about the win is we got the chance somehow sa quarterfinals," said Magnolia coach Siot Tanquingcen. "More than the win, the mental part is the most important."

Welcoat, which had long been eliminated, went into the game with nothing else to lose, played to throw the quarterfinals race into a mess, and showed up with the aim of salvaging some pride.

Instead, the Dragons found their losing streak stretched to a franchise-worst 11 as they formally bowed with a 3-15 win-loss card.

No team has lost so many games in a row since Purefoods lost 12 straight in the 2003 season. The league worst was when Countryfair lost 13 straight in the 1984 All-Filipino, tying Great Taste’s dubious record, which was first set in the 1982 Reinforced Conference.

Joe De Vance, the No. 1 overall draft pick in the August Draft, had 18 points and Nic Belasco also 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for the Dragons.

Everyone was aware it was Welcoat’s last appearance for the conference, and just like in its past stints, it was a moment of grief.

Ironically, it was against Magnolia that Welcoat last tasted a victory, a 95-93 decision last Nov. 16, as the Dragons registered their first back-to-back wins since joining the league last season.

This time, the sheer power and depth of Magnolia came into full gear while Welcoat’s collective mind-set was simply not in the game.