MANILA, Philippines – Unheralded guard Roi Sumang and rookie Mac Belo took over in crunch time as the Blackwater Elite held off the Alaska Aces, 103-100, to secure their fifth victory in the 2016-17 PBA Philippine Cup Sunday at the Big Dome.
Sumang, a former standout of the University of the East, had 19 points, while Belo added 21 points and seven rebounds to power the Elite, who improved to 5-4 while showcasing their poise in crunch time against a veteran Alaska squad.
"With all honesty, we really prepared hard for this game," said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac after the game. "Isa lang 'yung sinabi namin sa mga players – if we want to beat Alaska, we have to have the same energy, or maybe more energy than they have."
A 14-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters put Blackwater in control, 83-71, with 9:35 to go in the final quarter, and they would go on to lead by 14 points, 92-78, with 5:47 left to play after Raymond Aguilar knocked down an off-balanced, well-contested three-pointer to beat the shot-clock buzzer.
Alaska, however, refused to go down without a fight and showed the spirit that have brought them to back-to-back All-Filipino Cup Finals appearances. JVee Casio anchored an 11-0 run that made it a three-point game, 89-92, with still 2:43 left, while Alaska's defensive pressure forced hurried shots from the Elite.
In one instance, Aguilar found himself thoroughly smothered inside the paint, and in the ensuing possession, Calvin Abueva found RJ Jazul in the corner, who recognized a wide-open Casio from beyond the arc. Casio promptly drained the three-pointer to cut the lead to five, 87-92. Abueva later connected on two charities to cap the run and make it a one-possession game.
However, the Elite showed some fire of their own. Belo, with the ball in his hands late in the shot-clock, coolly fired a three-pointer to extend their lead to six points with 1:43 left, and after two more charities from Abueva, Sumang attacked the Alaska defense for an and-1 that pushed their lead back to seven, 98-91, with 1:21 left.
"Kanina, I wanted to see Roi Sumang deliver during crunch time, I wanted Mac Belo to deliver during crunch time," said Isaac. "I wanted the players inside the court during that crucial stretch of the game to showcase what they have."
Alaska would get to within two points, thanks again to Casio. The former De La Salle University guard drained a clutch triple, stole the ball off the Elite's inbound and assisted on an Abueva bucket to make it 96-98 with 1:11 left to play. After Sumang made two charities to push the lead back up to four, Abueva scored on a lay-up to again make it a two-point game.
Sumang blew a chance to ice the game when he could only make one of two free throws with 12.2 seconds left, and Abueva promptly cut the deficit to one point with another bucket at the 5.6 mark. However, Denok Miranda was able to make both of his charities off a duty foul by Casio, and the Elite held on for the win after Abueva's triple at the buzzer missed its mark.
"We were able to withstand the strong comeback of Alaska," said Isaac. "And nakita ko, I have reason to believe that these players can be really good players."
With the victory, the Elite improved to 5-4, good for fourth in the league behind San Miguel, GlobalPort, and Rain or Shine. Alaska, meanwhile, dropped to 4-4 and is now in a three-way tie for sixth to eight places along with Ginebra and Phoenix.
"We have two more games and we're at 5-4. Kami naman, kagaya noong una kong sinabi, we'll just give our very best. Kung saan kami abutin sa kakabigay ng very best namin, lalaruin namin ang sitwasyon na 'yun," Isaac said.
Alaska held a slim lead for most of the first half, taking a 28-22 advantage at the end of the opening frame and staying ahead until the final two minutes of the second quarter. A three-pointer by Reil Cervantes off a broken play allowed Blackwater to come to within three points, 40-43, and two free throws by Belo off a Kevin Racal foul made it a one-point game, 42-43, with 1:53 left.
A flagrant foul penalty 1 called on Vic Manuel afforded Blackwater a golden opportunity to seize the lead, but Arthur dela Cruz could only make one of his two charities. They also bungled the bonus possession, with Ronjay Buenafe immediately being called for a traveling violation.
Blackwater turned the tables in the third period, however, as they outscored the Aces 31-22. Sumang and Ronjay Buenafe took the starring roles in the frame, with the veteran Buenafe waxing hot from beyond the arc in the middle part, and Sumang taking charge late.
Buenafe finished with 16 points, while Arthur dela Cruz added 13 points. The Elite recovered from their poor shooting in the first half to finish the game with a 46% clip, and converted 27 of their 32 free throws to boot.
Meanwhile, Abueva finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds for Alaska, while Casio also had 23 markers to go along with six boards and five assists. The Aces clobbered Blackwater on the boards, 53-34, but also committed 26 turnovers, and saw their reserves get outplayed by the Elite's bench.
The scores:
BLACKWATER 103 - Belo 21, Sumang 19, Buenafe 16, Dela Cruz 13, Aguilar 10, Sena 8, Cervantes 6, Miranda 4, Pinto 4, Ababou 2, Pascual 0, Gamalinda 0, Banal 0.
ALASKA 100 - Abueva 23, Casio 23, Manuel 13, Racal 9, Mendoza 7, Hontiveros 6, Exciminiano 6, Jazul 4, Cruz 4, Thoss 2, Pascual 2, Dela Cruz 1.
Quarter scores: 22-28, 45-49, 76-71, 103-100.
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