1986 Alaska Milkmen season

The 1986 Alaska Milkmen season was the first season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Notable Events

Alaska Milk Corporation was accepted as a new member of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) entering its 12th.season, the league maintain a six-team field following the leave of absence by the Magnolia ballclub.

Season Summary

• Alaska Milk's first PBA game took place on the summer of April 6, Opening game of the season, led by comebacking import Donnie Ray Koonce, with Jerry Lee Eaves as their other reinforcement, the Milkmen went on to beat Shell Oilers, 102-97, Alaska won six of their first seven outings and were on top of the standings with a 6–1 record, disaster struck, however, in their April 27 game against Tanduay, which they won, 114–103, import Donnie Ray Koonce suffered a bad fall, and from there, Alaska Milk stumbled and what followed was a long losing drought of eight straight losses that booted them out of contention, Alaska places fourth in the First Conference, losing 4–2 in the best-of-seven series for third place against Ginebra San Miguel.
• Former San Bedan Cesar Jota took over the coaching chores from Tony Vasquez beginning the All-Filipino Conference, and Alaska was 1 win-5 loss in the one-round eliminations, defeated RP-Magnolia Quench Plus, 100-96 in a playoff game, to enter the quarterfinals.
• Norman Black, who signed a one-year contract with Alaska, despite his mother team, Magnolia, making a PBA return in the Third Conference, teamed up with fellow returnee Donnie Ray Koonce, but Alaska Milk could go no higher than the Quarterfinals, Koonce was replaced by Keith Morrison after a couple of games in the eliminations, at some point, head coach Tony Vasquez makes a brief return to the bench, giving some hope for Alaska fans, until his sudden passing, and the job went back to Cesar Jota. Alaska places sixth in the third conference, losing to Great Taste Coffee, 142-126 on the last game of the quarterfinals, bowed out with a 5-win, 10-loss slate.

Roster

References

http://www.alaskaaces.com.ph