MANILA – Blackwater Elite clawed back from 18 points down to score a 113-111 escape over NorthPort Batang Pier and stay unbeaten in three games in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Phoenix Fuel Masters, in the following game, banked on the second-half exploits of reinforcement Eugene Phelps, Jason Perkins and Calvin Abueva to score a 96-86 win against Meralco Bolts.
Trailing 35-53 midway in the second period, the Elite slowly moved up on 3-point conversions from Henry Walker, Shej Roi Sumang, Rey Mark Belo to come to within 56-59 at the half.
A Nard John Pinto basket let the Elite to snatch the lead 67-66 but the Batang Pier responded with baskets from Rashad Woods, Moala Tautuaa and Ryan Arana and pulled away anew 89-79.
The Elite countered with outside hits from Michael Digregorio, John Paul Erram and Walker to force a 99-all deadlock before surging to a 108-101 lead behind Walker, Digregorio, Pinto, and Chris Javier.
In its last push the Batang Pier charged to get within 108-111 after a triple by Woods. Two free throws by Digregorio raised the Elite’s advantage to 113-108 before the Batang Pier’s Juan Nicholas Elorde made a 3-pointer from near the half-court for the final score.
Walker finished with double-double 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Digregorio and Erram added 19 points each for the Elite (3-0), which tied with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings (3-0).
Woods submitted 31 points and 17 rebounds while Stanley Pringle added 18 markers for the Batang Pier (0-5), which joined Columbian Dyip at the tail-end.
In the second game the Fuel Masters held on to a 47-42 halftime lead and went on a huge run in the third quarter behind Phelps, Abueva and Perkins for a 15-point edge. The Bolts countered with consecutive triples from Garvo Lanete to come to within 11 points.
Meralco came even closer to 9 points early in the fourth quarter but Phoenix got conversions from Perkins, Luis Alfonso Revilla and Phelps, and back-to-back hits from Perkins for their largest lead 91-72.
Phelps led the Fuel Masters (4-1) with double-double 24 points and 19 rebounds while Abueva and Matthew Wright had 16 points each. Chris Newsome topped the scoring for the Bolts (1-3) with 18 points./PN
