The Blackwater Elite stayed tough down the stretch and picked up a hard-earned victory against one of the elite squads in the PBA.
Behind a monster performance from import Henry Walker, the Elite pulled off a thrilling victory over the San Miguel Beermen, 103-100, Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum to earn their second straight win in the 2018 PBA Governors' Cup.
Henry Walker paced Blackwater with 35 points, 17 rebounds 5 assists and 7 steals, backed up by a scorching shooting performance from Mike DiGregorio who poured in 21 points on 5/9 shooting from beyond the arc.
DiGregorio started things off for Blackwater early in the first quarter, as the third-year guard nailed 4 triples in the period. The Elite opened up a 23-16 advantage with 3:36 left in the period.
Despite playing without June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel still stayed tough as they pulled to within 2 points 27-25 at the end of the first quarter. The Beermen gained the advantage at the end of the first half, outscoring Blackwater 21-16 in the period.
The third period belonged to the Beermen once again, as they stretched their lead behind the perimeter shooting of AZ Reid and the inside presence of Christian Standhardinger. Kelly Nabong knocked down a top of the key triple to go up by 9 points, 81-72 with 44 seconds left in the game.
Trailing by 8 points, 92-84 entering the final period, the Elite took control in the fourth period behind hot shooting from Walker. A basket by JP Erram at the 8:17 mark gave Blackwater the lead, setting up a thrilling back-and-forth exchange between both squads. DiGregorio and Walker combined for big baskets to give the Elite a 98-92 advantage with 3:30 remaining in the game.
The Beermen made one final run, getting to within 1 point after a triple by Marcio Lassiter with 36 seconds left, which was countered by clutch free throws from JP Erram. The Beermen had two last chances to tie the game, but AZ Reid and Arwind Santos missed desperation triples that secured the victory for Blackwater.
Aside from Walker and DiGregorio's contributions, the Elite got a big lift from John Pinto, who filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Erram, fresh from a stint in the Asian Games, chipped in with 10 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.
Reid top scored with 26 points and 12 rebounds followed by Christian Standhardinger's 20 points and 5 rebounds.
Blackwater stays undefeated with a 2-0 slate, while San Miguel drops to an even 1-1 record.
THE SCORES
Blackwater 103 - Walker 35, Digregorio 21, Pinto 15, Erram 10, Zamar 8, Maliksi 6, Jose 4, Al-Hussaini 2, Belo 2, Cortez 0, Sumang 0.
San Miguel 100 - Reid 26, Standhardinger 20, Lassiter 13, Cabagnot 12, Nabong 12, Heruela 7, Ross 6, Santos 4.
Quarters: 27-25, 43-46, 74-82, 103-100.
EXTRA DRIBBLES
- Blackwater Center Rabeh Al-Hussaini was ejected in the 4th quarter with 9:18 left in the game after he was whistled for two technical fouls.
- The Elite found great success from beyond the arc, knocking down 12 triples on a 46% clip. The Beermen shot 11/37, good for 29%.
- This match featured several players that are part of the pool of Coach Yeng Guiao for the FIBA Asia Qualifiers. Blackwater's Allein Maliksi and JP Erram are in, as are San Miguel's Christian Standhardinger, Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot.
NEXT GAMES
Blackwater - Sept. 19 vs. NorthPort
San Miguel Beer - Sept. 21 vs. Columbian Dyip