By Adrian Stewart Co

TNT KaTropa’s quest to unseat the San Miguel Beermen in the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup stayed alive after scoring a 93-88 victory in Game 2 of their best-of-three quarterfinals earlier this week at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With the score tied at 86-all, Jeth Troy Rosario and Jayson Castro surged KaTropa ahead to a 91-86 lead off a triple and a layup before Brian Heruela and Roger Pogoy came up with split free throws to seal the win.

Pogoy top-scored for TNT with 20 points and nine rebounds, Castro added 19 points and nine assists, and Rosario contributed a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Holding to a slim 20-19 lead after the first 12 minutes, KaTropa created distance in the second period behind Castro and Pogoy, resulting in their biggest lead of 54-43 at the half.

The Beermen attempted to claw their way back several times in the second half but KaTropa scored baskets from Castro and Rosario to keep them at bay before the Beermen forced the 86-all tie off four straight points from June Mar Fajardo.

Deciders between KaTropa and the Beermen, along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, take place today./ASC, WDJ