[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Blackwater routs Kia in PBA PH Cup’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
February 17, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
MANILA ā Blackwater Elite cruised to its second straight victory in the 2017-2018 PBA Philippine Cup with a 95-76 rout of Kia Picanto last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Michael Digregorio led the way with 21 points. John Paul Erram had double-double 17 points and 14 rebounds while Allein Maliksi contributed 14 points for the Elite, which moved up to a 4-5 win-loss slate.
Both teams had a tight exchange early in the match with the Elite only holding to a slim 11-9 advantage.
The lead grew to 19-9 on hits by Dave Marcelo and Nard Pinto but the Picanto was able to inch closer at 21-25 at the end of the period.
The Picanto kept the game close early in the second quarter at 39-40 on consecutive points from Ronald Tubid but the Elite increased the advantage to 47-41 at the half on inside hits by Erram.
The Picanto were still hanging around in the third quarter with Tubid continuing with his outside shooting before the Elite went on a huge run from Maliksi, Digregorio and Erram for a 77-59 lead.
The lead went down to as low as 10 points early in the fourth period but the Elite countered with a finishing run behind Erram and Pinto for its largest lead at 95-71 on hits by reserves Chris Javier and Raphael Banal.
āWe need this victory to keep our playoffs hopes alive,ā said Elite head coach Leo Isaac. āI just told our players before the game that we cannot take Kia lightly because they have nothing to lose.ā
Ilonggo Tubid finished with 22 points, including six 3-point conversions, while Reden Celda added 21 points for the Picanto.
After slipping to 1-8 win-loss card, Picanto wonāt be seeing action in the playoffs./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
