THE DEFENDING champions Alaska Aces survived the absence of their top performing local, chalking up a huge 77-73 win over the slumping Coca-Cola Tigers last night in the PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.Willie Miller failed to suit up due to chickenpox but the absence of the reigning MVP did not dampen the spirits of the Aces, who kept their automatic semifinal bid alive. By improving to 9-8 (win-loss), the Aces climbed to solo third place and stayed within striking distance with the Air21 Express and the Red Bull Barakos, who one and two in the standings. Air21, which is already assured of a playoff for an outright entry to the semis, is on top of the standings with an 11-6 slate, while Red Bull is at second place at 10-6. For a chance to secure an automatic semifinal berth, the Aces must sweep their two remaining games and hope that the Express and the Barakos drop their last assignments. Import Randy Holcomb, Jeffrey Cariaso, Larry Fonacier, Tony dela Cruz and Sonny Thoss churned out big numbers to offset the impact of Miller's absence. Holcomb scored a game-high 20 points while Cariaso and Thoss tallied 12 each. Imports Donald Copeland and Jason Dixon scattered 18 points each for the Tigers, who dropped to 9-8. CORRESPONDENT CALVIN D. CORDOVA | 
