By Rey Joble

GEORGE Gallent is one of a few privileged guys to win championships both as player and coach in the Philippine Basketball League. All in all, he has collected 13 championships.

Yesterday, when the going got tough, Gallent used his winning habit one more time in steering the Harbour Centre Batang Pier to their sixth straight championship in a come-from-behind 88-73 win over Magnolia Purified Water Wizards in the PBL PG Flex Linoleum Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

?What can I say? I?m truly blessed,? said Gallent during the post-game interview. ?Maybe, I?m one of those lucky guys.?

Gallent won seven titles as a player. As a coach, he has won six for Harbour Centre, putting him in the company of the elite and making him the PBL?s second winningest coach behind only his mentor Alfrancis Chua, who has seven.

Of the Harbour Centre lot, two players stood tallest?Far Eastern University guards Andy Barroca and Benedict Fernandez. They filled in the big shoes left by Reed Juntilla, who was not allowed to play after being reactivated to play in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Barroca played the game of his life, scoring all of his team?s last 12 points to finish with 15. He bailed the Batang Pier out of trouble when his team needed a spark in the final three minutes.