MANILA – Blackwater Bossing’s league-worst losing skid stopped at 29.
Kevin Barkley Eboña saved the Bossing from a season of futility with a 101-100 stunner over 2021-2022 PBA Governors’ Cup-leading Magnolia Pambansang Manok Hotshots last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
On a brink of another heartbreak after seeing its 11-point lead dissipate, Eboña surged the Bossing ahead at 101-100 on a go-ahead basket from a steal by Jvee Casio with 10 seconds left.
The Hotshots had its last opportunity to take the win but the Bossing put on a tight defense of Andy Mark Barroca, while Jackson Corpuz’s game-winning attempt was blocked by Bossing’s Rey Suerte.
Eboña, an offseason acquisition by Blackwater from Alaska Aces, finished the match with eight points, all in the fourth quarter, as the Bossing ended the season with its first win in 11 matches.
Shawn Glover led the Bossing with 33 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Suerte chipped in 16 markers, while Casio and rookie Andre Paras ended with 12 markers apiece.
“Sana it came earlier in the season,” a teary-eyed Elite head coach Ariel Vanguardia said. “There are a lot of games that we could have won but good thing that the monkey is out of our back and we are looking forward to the next season.”
Barroca finished the game with 27 points, while Mike Harris added double-double 21 points and 17 rebounds before sitting out in the final two minutes due to flagrant foul. Magnolia dropped to 9-2.
In the first game, TNT Tropang Giga moved closer to securing a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals after a 127-107 rout of Terrafirma Dyip.
Clinging to a 61-53 halftime lead, the Tropang Giga rode on the exploits of Jayson Castro, John Paul Erram and Aaron Fuller in the third quarter as they widened the advantage to 90-77.
The Tropang Giga went on with its rampage in the fourth with back-to-beck triples from Mikey Williams as the lead reached it largest at 20 points on a layup by Matthew Ganuelas-Rosser.
Fuller finished the match with double-double 24 points and 12 rebounds, Williams and Castro added 16 and 15, respectively, while Erram and Bacolodnon Kib Montalbo had 12 each for TNT.
BOX SCORE:
BLACKWATER 101 – Glover 33, Suerte 16, Casio 12, Paras 12, Ebona 8, Desiderio 8, McCarthy 6, Ayonayon 6, Melton 0, Amboludto 0, Washington 0, Amer 0.
MAGNOLIA 100 – Barroca 27, Harris 21, Dionisio 14, Lee 12, Wong 7, Reavis 5, Sangalang 5, Dela Rosa 4, Brill 3, Ahanmisi 2, Corpuz 0, Escoto 0.
Quarterscores: 16-21, 48-45, 71-66, 101-100/PN
