BLACKWATER made short work of Kia Picanto last night via a masterful 95-76 victory in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Elite notched their second straight victory in the season-opening conference as they improved to a 4-5 win-loss record while dealing the Picanto their fourth straight loss, leaving them languishing at the cellar with a 1-8 card.
The Elite previously beat powerhouse San Miguel, 106-96.
The win also kept Blackwater’s hopes alive in the playoffs, while eliminating Kia in the process.
The Elite saw the cellar-dwelling Picanto engage them in a close battle before breaking away in the third quarter to coast to their fourth win in nine games and claim a piece of eighth spot with Phoenix.
Mike Digregorio sustained his hot shooting, while Poy Erram was a force down low once again for the Elite. Digregorio finished with 21 points, while Erram contributed 17 points and 14 rebounds for Blackwater.
Allein Maliksi was the only other player in double figures for the Elite, chipping in 14 points.
Nobody is more elated than coach Leo Isaac, who sees the win as a big moral boost for his wards.
“We want to keep our hopes alive and that could only happen if we continue our winning ways,” Isaac said.“That win against San Miguel was like a shot in the arm and with this convincing win against Kia, maybe we can go on and move up to the next level in terms of confidence, maturity, and all things that could add up to our game on Sunday.”
Kia actually was putting up a decent fight in the first half as it trailed, 21-25, in the first quarter and 41-47 at the break, although Blackwater managed to keep its foe at bay.
A different story unfolded in the third canto, as Digregorio picked up the pace and led the Elite’s fiery run to erect a 75-58 advantage in the 1:56 mark.
Blackwater continued to pummel Kia in the payoff period, with James Sena joining the fray, drilling a three-pointer to give the Elite a commanding 20-point advantage, 87-67 with 5:54 left in the game.
They never looked back from there.
Kia’s Ronald Tubid flashed his vintage form, scoring a game-high 22 points, including 14 in the second period. He also had eight rebounds and one steal.
Reden Celda added 21 points and five rebounds that went to waste for Kia.
The scores:
Blackwater (95)—DiGregorio 21, Erram 17, Maliksi 14, Sena 9, Belo 8, Marcelo 8, Cruz 5, Pinto 5, Jose 4, Javier 3, Banal 1, Cortez 0, Neypes 0, Palma 0.
Kia Picanto (76)—Tubid 22, Celda 21, Corpuz 9, Lastimosa 8, McCarthy 6, Reyes 5, Camson 3, Khobuntin 2, Escoto 0, Galanza 0, Sara 0, Yee 0.
Quarterscores: 25-21, 47-41, 77-65, 95-76.
Game today
(Batangas City Coliseum)
5 p.m. – Alaska vs. San Miguel