Arwind Santos of San Miguel (left) lays in over Ginebra’s Rudy Hatfield in their PBA Fiesta Cup game Sunday night. Santos scored 24 points to help the Beermen to a 102-94 win. (Photo by ALI VICOY)

Games Wednesday (Araneta Coliseum)
5 p.m. — B-Meg Derby Ace vs Barako Bull Coffee
7:30 p.m. — Talk ’N Text vs Coca-Cola

San Miguel Beer coach Siot Tanquincen likes the view on top but he wants more from his players.

“It’s good that we are leading, but we’re a team that is very much a work in progress. We have to sustain and be consistent with what we’re doing right now,” Tanquincen said a day after the defending champion Beermen downed sister-team Barangay Ginebra, 102-94, for 5-1 win-loss card in the PBA Fiesta Cup.

It was San Miguel’s fourth straight win in the reinforced-conference.

Their title-retention bid started with a 92-87 win over the Air21 Express, but the Beermen stumbled against the Coca-Cola Tigers, losing 108-98. Since then they have won three times. They beat Alaska (95-89) and Talk ’N Text (112-106), both in overtime, and then Barako Bull Coffee (106-82).

In a rematch of last season’s Fiesta Cup Finals against the Kings, the Beermen got another solid game from reigning Best import Gabe Freeman, who had 25 points and 18 rebounds, with one assist, a steal and a shot block in 33 minutes of action.

The locals also stepped up with swingman Arwind Santos producing 24 points, nine boards, three assists and four steals, while Dondon Hontiveros had 19 points and new recruit Alex Cabagnot adding 16 points, seven assists and four steals.

While he’s happy that his team is on top of the standings, he said that what people will remember is not how they started but how they will finish the season-ending tournament.

“Just like last conference, we started strong... we earned outright slot in the semis. But we didn’t achieve our goal,” he said, referring to their Final Four setback to eventual Philippine Cup champion B-Meg Derby Ace (formerly Purefoods).

In their previous game, San Miguel led by as many as 20 points, 71-51, in the third period but allowed Ginebra to comeback within 94-91 late in the fourth.

The Beermen, however, scored six straight points courtesy of Santos and Freeman that gave them the lead for good, 100-91, with 1:15 to play.

“That’s the lesson we learned, we have to sustain that lead,” he said.

Tanquincen was also satisfied on the progress of Santos, who has stepped his game up with the absence of injured players Danny Siegle (back) and Lordy Tugade (left knee).

“He’s learning to play the game in his position,” Tanquincen said of his prized forward from Lubao, Pampanga who they got in the off-season via trade with Air21. “He showed that he’s willing to learn, play less minutes, but be as efficient.”

In the other game last Sunday, Sta. Lucia Realty snapped a three-game losing skid with a 106-98 overtime win opposite Air21.