Garcia, 34, notched his first PBA career double-double and powered Phoenix to a breakthrough win in the Philippine Cup following a 94-78 demolition of Terrafirma at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, March 13.

Taking over in the absence of injured guard Tyler Tio, Garcia netted a season-high 20 points and a career-high 10 assists on top of 6 rebounds as the Fuel Masters rebounded after back-to-back losses to open the tournament.

“We’re without Tyler so I needed to step up as a veteran in this team,” said Garcia in Filipino.

Phoenix trailed 39-44 at halftime before Garcia took charge as he scattered 16 points in the second half, helping his side pull away for good after a 64-64 deadlock at the end of the third quarter.

Garcia also thrived as a facilitator, with three of his teammates scoring in double figures: Jason Perkins (18), Kenneth Tuffin (17), and Larry Muyang (13).

It was such a playmaking masterclass from Garcia that he posted his career-best in assists with zero turnovers.

Garcia said he simply wanted to win, knowing that a 0-3 record would not be ideal for the Fuel Masters’ bid of another deep run after Phoenix reached the semifinals for just the third time in franchise history last conference.

“We needed this first win. I hope this continues,” said Garcia.

Perkins also finished with 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Tuffin added 9 rebounds, and Muyang hauled down 7 rebounds in the victory that saw the Fuel Masters outscore the Dyip, 30-14, in the fourth period.

Still within striking distance at 75-80, Terrafirma fell apart as Phoenix went on a pivotal 12-0 run capped by back-to-back Garcia buckets for a 92-75 lead with under 1:30 minutes left.

Javi Gomez de Liaño put up 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals for the Dyip, who absorbed their second straight defeat after a 2-0 start.

All-Star guard Juami Tiongson tallied 16 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in the losing effort as Terrafirma missed the services of top rookie Stephen Holt, who sat out with back issues.

The Scores

Phoenix 94 – Garcia 20, Perkins 18, Tuffin 17, Muyang 13, Daves 8, Mocon 8, Jazul 7, Rivero 3, Manganti 0, Alejandro 0, Verano 0

Terrafirma 78 – Gomez de Liano 19, Tiongson 16, Camson 10, Alolino 8, Sangalang 8, Go 4, Carino 4, Mina 3, Ramos 2, Olivario 2, Calvo 2, Cahilig 0

Quarters: 19-16, 39-44, 64-64, 94-78.

– Rappler.com

Bolick flirted with a triple-double and shone down the stretch as the Road Warriors claimed their third straight win by way of a 103-97 victory over erstwhile unbeaten Blackwater at the PhilSports Arena on Wednesday, March 13.

The flamboyant guard drained a pair of three-pointers in the final minute and finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals to steer NLEX to a 4-1 record before it goes on a month-long break.

“Robert Bolick is just a hell of a player,” said Road Warriors assistant coach Borgie Hermida.

“He produces a lot of points. But if you take a look at the assist department, Bolick is also a great passer. 90 percent of the time, the ball is in his hands. And 90 percent of the time, Berto makes good decisions.”

Although Bolick slowed down offensively after erupting for a career-high 46 points in their romp of Converge last Saturday, Bolick delivered the biggest hits late.

Bolick gave NLEX a 100-94 lead by sinking a trey with 45 seconds left, and when the Bossing inched within 100-97, he sealed the deal with another triple with 30 ticks remaining.

While Bolick stole the show with his endgame exploits, heroes were aplenty for NLEX.

Rookie Jhan Nermal scattered 13 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and pulled down 7 rebounds, seldom-used Dominic Fajardo put up 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Robbie Herndon tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Baser Amer also contributed with 12 points in his first encounter against his former team Blackwater.

After playing five games in two weeks, the Road Warriors will go on a well-deserved break before they return to action on April 6 against perennial contender Magnolia.

Bolick, though, warned NLEX against complacency, with the team also set to battle powerhouses San Miguel, TNT, and Barangay Ginebra for its remaining assignments.

“It will be a difficult stretch next month, so we need to prepare better,” said Bolick.

The Road Warriors won despite missing head coach Frankie Lim, who injured his hand after being hit by a ball during practice.

Without Lim, deputy Jong Uichico – a nine-time PBA champion as a head coach – called the shots for NLEX.

Rey Suerte paced the Bossing with 21 points, but he missed five crucial free throws inside the final three minutes as Blackwater saw its unbeaten streak snapped and fell to 3-1.

Suerte went 3-of-8 from the line, with the team going 13-of-25 overall for a measly 52%.

Rey Nambatac and Troy Rosario netted 16 points each in the loss that prevented the Bossing from tying their franchise-best start when they opened the 2019 Governors’ Cup with four consecutive wins.

The Scores

NLEX 103 – Bolick 21, Nermal 16, Herndon 14, Fajardo 14, Amer 12, Semerad 11, Rodger 9, Marcelo 4, Valdez 2, Miranda 0, Pascual 0.

Blackwater 97 – Suerte 21, Rosario 16, Nambatac 16, Tungcab 15, Guinto 12, Ilagan 8, David 4, Yap 3, Escoto 2, Sena 0, Hill 0, Kwekuteye 0, Jopia 0.

Quarters: 22-26, 50-51, 71-72, 103-97.

– Rappler.com

Thanks to Cu’s third-quarter explosion, Ginebra cruised to a 102-92 win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters for a 2-0 start in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, March 10.

Cu, the 23rd pick in the 2023 PBA Draft, knocked down three of his game-high four treys in the opening minutes of the third frame to help the Gin Kings turn a slim 47-43 halftime lead into a comfortable 79-62 cushion heading into the final period.

The sharpshooting big man Cu, who celebrated his 27th birthday with his first Player of the Game honor, finished with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block in over 18 minutes of play as a starter.

“I noticed that [Phoenix’s] defense was giving me the shot. They wanted me to shoot the ball so I just wanted to let them pay,” said Cu.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I think this is the most opportunity I’ve had in my whole life.”

“In college I was a bench player so I just wanted to make the most out of the opportunities that are given to me,” added Cu, who played for the La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP and Ginebra’s PBA 3×3 team prior to joining the recent draft.  

Fresh from a career-high 32-point performance in their last outing, Jamie Malonzo, who is still playing with a black eye following his involvement in a restaurant fight late in February, topscored for the Gin Kings anew with 17 points, along with 10 rebounds.

Like Cu, Ginebra guards Stanley Pringle and John Pinto caught fire from long distance, knocking down three triples each to finish with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Pinto was also instrumental in the Gin Kings’ breakaway as he sank two of his three long bombs early in the third quarter, joining forces with Cu and Malonzo for six consecutive three-pointers during that span alone.

On the other side, Jason Perkins scored a team-high 14 points, followed by Javee Mocon’s 13.

The Fuel Masters, who played without injured star Tyler Tio, are off to a disappointing 0-2 start to the conference after a promising campaign in the Commissioner’s Cup where they managed to reach the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the NorthPort Batang Pier continued to flex their depth in the Philippine Cup as they defeated the Meralco Bolts for their third straight victory, 90-85.

After the Batang Pier banked on rookie center Cade Flores in their previous win against the Fuel Masters, JM Calma proved to be the unlikely hero this time around as he produced 16 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting and 8 rebounds.

Arvin Tolentino likewise finished with 16 points, but the NorthPort star shot a lowly 4-of-14 clip from the field.

With Joshua Munzon also struggling to find his rhythm on offense, Paul Zamar stepped up for the Batang Pier with 14 points, while Flores had another solid outing of 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals. 

The Batang Pier imposed their will on the defensive end as they forced Meralco to commit 25 turnovers. They managed to score 31 points from those turnovers, a stark contrast to the Bolts’ 12.

“That’s our challenge to the team. Those who play well on defense will play longer minutes,” said NorthPort tactician Bonnie Tan as his wards also recorded 18 steals in the win.

With NorthPort already on top by three possessions with 1:07 left to play, 88-81, Meralco showed signs of life as Aaron Black and Chris Newsome delivered back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to just 3, 88-85, with only 8 seconds remaining. 

Unfortunately for the Bolts, Flores immediately sealed the win for the Batang Pier with an easy layup in transition after Newsome failed to complete on his three-point play.  

Black led the Bolts with 18 points, while Newsome added 15 in the loss.

NorthPort moved up to a 3-1 slate, while Meralco fell to 1-3. 

The Scores

First Game

NorthPort 90 – Calma 16, Tolentino 16, Zamar 14, Flores 13, Adamos 7, Lucero 7, Chan 7, Munzon 6, Yu 4, Rosales 0, Bulanadi 0, Paraiso 0.

Meralco 85 – Black 18, Newsome 15, Almazan 12, Quinto 8, Rios 6, Mendoza 6, Jose 6, Banchero 5, Maliksi 4, Torres 3, Hodge 2, Caram 0.

Quarters: 19-15, 43-43, 68-64, 90-85.

Second Game

Ginebra 102 – Malonzo 17, Pringle 13, Pinto 12, Cu 12, Standhardinger 12, Aguilar J. 9, Ahanmisi 7, Pessumal 6, David 5, Onwubere 5, Tenorio 4, Gumaru 0, Aguilar R. 0.

Phoenix 92 – Perkins 14, Mocon 13, Manganti 11, Tuffin 10, Garcia 9, Jazul 8, Rivero 7, Soyud 6, Muyang 4, Alejandro 4, Daves 2, Verano 2, Camacho 2, Lalata 0.

Quarters: 23-24, 47-43, 79-62, 102-92. 

– Rappler.com 

The Barangay Ginebra forward has found solace in the sport and his team after he caught unwanted attention following his involvement in an ugly melee that made the rounds on social media.

“It has been a lot for me. Just credit to my team, they’ve been holding me down, checking on me. Throughout that whole process, they have my back. I have to give credit to my team,” said Malonzo on Friday, March 8.

With all eyes on him, Malonzo turned in one of the best games of his PBA career as he steered the Gin Kings to a triumphant start in the Philippine Cup by way of a 113-107 win over Rain or Shine on Friday.

He finished with a career-high 32 points on a 5-of-9 clip from three-point distance to go with 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and 2 steals, taking charge for a Ginebra side missing injured star guard Scottie Thompson.

That kind of performance, Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone said, is a sign that Malonzo is slowly moving past that harrowing experience that left him with bruises on his face and a swollen eye.

“I think he has found… a sanctuary in practice and games. He is back to his comfort zone with his teammates,” Cone said. “It showed in his game that he can put everything behind and just move forward.”

“We’re actually really proud of Jamie and what he did and how he did and how he came back to practice and just let his game do the talking.”

The support from the rest of the team has been immense for Malonzo.

Ginebra veteran LA Tenorio said the players welcomed Malonzo back to the team without bombarding him with questions about the incident.

“The good thing about the team is there were no whispers. When he went to practice, it was just a normal day,” said Tenorio in a mix of Filipino and English.

“We really did not have to talk about it. Coach did not even have to tell us that we’re not supposed to talk about it. It is just the the culture of the team that we understand each other.”

If there were anything good that came out from that experience, Malonzo – according to Tenorio – is focused on basketball.

“He has a chip on his shoulder now. Not that he needs to prove himself, but to rise to the occasion after what happened to him, that is a real hard situation,” said Tenorio.

“I just told him that he’ll definitely learn from this and he’ll be a more mature person after this.” – Rappler.com

After a stunning loss to former league cellar dweller Blackwater Bossing in its previous outing, TNT got back on track and sent the erstwhile unbeaten Terrafirma Dyip crashing back to earth with a 100-97 escape in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, March 9. 

Veteran guard Jayson Castro turned back the hands of time and steered the Tropang Giga to the hard-earned victory with a team-high 23 points on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting. 

Playing without key players Roger Pogoy and Kelly Williams due to injuries, Calvin Oftana and Glenn Khobuntin helped Castro carry TNT’s scoring cudgels with 19 points each, while rookie Henry Galinato also stepped up big as he posted career-highs of 17 markers and 11 rebounds.

“Obviously, those are two starters that we’re missing,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes of Pogoy and Williams. 

“But that’s the main reason why we want to build a deep team. Experience tells us that injuries are always part of any conference,” added Reyes as TNT also continues to play without its top big man Poy Erram due to a knee injury.  

After Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser missed a pair of free throws that could’ve extended TNT’s slim 98-97 lead with 44 seconds remaining, Terrafirma failed to capitalize on the opportunity to overtake the Tropang Giga as Aldrech Ramos and Juami Tiongson failed to connect on their potential go-ahead baskets. 

Castro then sealed the win for TNT with two clutch free throws with only 6 seconds left as three-point heaves by Javi Gomez de Liaño and Tiongson were both way off in the endgame.

“Our discussion before the game, even before the Blackwater game, was we know that these teams are going to make it very difficult for us,” said Reyes.

“We had to prepare long and hard for them. We expected a tough game and that’s exactly what it was.” 

Top rookie Stephen Holt paced Terrafirma with an all-around showing of 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Tiongson and Gomez de Liaño added 21 and 18 markers, respectively. 

TNT hiked its record to 2-1 and handed Terrafirma its first loss of the conference after a surprise 2-0 start. 

In the second game, Robert Bolick played like a man possessed as the NLEX Road Warriors made easy work of the winless Converge FiberXers, 115-93. 

Bolick showed Converge no mercy as he went off for a new career-high 46 points on 17-of-26 shooting, including a 5-of-12 clip from beyond the arc, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Thanks to his last-second three-pointer, Bolick surpassed his previous mark of 44 points, which he set in 2022 while still playing for the NorthPort Batang Pier. 

Like Bolick, Robbie Herndon knocked down five treys to finish with 17 points, while Jhan Nermal chipped in 11 markers. 

Leading by only 2 points at halftime, 54-52, Bolick took over and unloaded 18 of his 46 points in the third quarter to help NLEX pull away from Converge before entering the final frame, 84-71.

Bolick and the rest of the Road Warriors never looked back from that point on as they cruised to their third win in four matches, while keeping Converge winless in four tries.    

“I just wanted him to score. We needed to pull away,” said NLEX head coach Frankie Lim of Bolick’s 46-point explosion.

“I told them during halftime, we can’t allow Converge to hang around. It’s dangerous, especially in the endgame,” added Lim in Filipino. 

Justin Arana topscored for Converge in the lopsided defeat with 20 points. 

The Scores

First Game

TNT 100 – Castro 23, Oftana 19, Khobuntin 19, Galinato 17, Ganuelas-Rosser B. 11, Aurin 4, Monalbo 4, Heruela 3, Ebona 0, Reyes 0, Ganuelas-Rosser M. 0, Ponferada 0.

Terrafirma 97 – Holt 24, Tiongson 21, Gomez de Liaño 18, Go 11, Alolino 9, Ramos 5, Sangalang 5, Camson 2, Cariño 2, Olivario 0, Calvo 0, Cahilig 0. 

Quarters: 23-21, 50-41, 73-69, 100-97.

Second Game

NLEX 115 – Bolick 46, Herndon 17, Nermal 13, Amer 10, Ular 6, Valdez 5, Nieto 4, Semerad 4, Charcos 3, Rodger 3, Fajardo 2, Marcelo 2, Miranda 0, Pascual 0.

Converge 93 – Arana 20, Santos 18, Stockton 13, Winston 10, Ambohot 8, Melecio 5, Delos Santos 4, Fleming 4, Fornilos 3, Balanza 3, Nieto 3, Zaldivar 2, Caralipio 0, Maagdenberg 0. 

Quarters: 24-28, 54-52, 84-71, 115-93. 

– Rappler.com 

But his play showed otherwise as Malonzo submitted one of the finest games of his PBA career, powering Barangay Ginebra to a triumphant Philippine Cup debut by way of a 113-107 win over Rain or Shine on Friday, March 8.

Malonzo fired a career-high 32 points on top of 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and 2 steals in his first game back since figuring in a restaurant fight that saw him get pummeled by an unidentified man.

“It’s just been tough, going through a lot, fighting through a lot. It hasn’t been easy. It’s difficult to cancel out all the noise and go out there and perform and focus on the game,” said Malonzo, who sustained bruises on his face.

“I’m just happy I was able to do what I did tonight and move forward.”

Malonzo conspicuously missed Gilas Pilipinas’ home blowout of the visiting Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on February 25.

National team head coach Tim Cone said Malonzo fell sick and needed to sit out.

Shortly after the game, though, a video of a seemingly disoriented man – speculated as Malonzo – getting beaten up in a restaurant made the rounds on social media.

Malonzo later confirmed his involvement in the fight.

Two weeks passed and Malonzo showed he is slowly but surely putting the incident behind him as he played with razor-sharp focus from the get-go against the Elasto Painters.

Malonzo erupted for 15 points in the first quarter to help his side build a 33-26 lead and the Gin Kings never let go of the upper hand on the way to handing Rain or Shine its third straight loss to start the conference.

Christian Standhardinger finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Maverick Ahanmisi put up 18 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists as he rose to the occasion amid the absence of injured star Scottie Thompson, who’s mending a back injury.

Japeth Aguilar and Stanley Pringle added 17 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

Anton Asistio posted 21 points and 4 rebounds, but he saw his best performance of the season go down the drain as the Elasto Painters stayed winless.

The Scores

Barangay Ginebra 113 – Malonzo 32, Standhardinger 18, Ahanmisi 18, J.Aguilar 17, Pringle 12, Cu 7, Pinto 5, Gumaru 3, Tenorio 1, Pessumal 0, Onwubere 0.

Rain or Shine 107 – Asistio 21, Caracut 16, Santillan 16, Mamuyac 16, Belga 9, Borboran 8, Norwood 5, Clarito 4, Datu 0, Demusis 0.

Quarters: 33-26, 58-52, 92-79, 113-107.

– Rappler.com

And the Batang Pier showed that on Friday, March 8, when their bench players accounted for over two-thirds of their scoring output in their 124-120 win over debuting Phoenix in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Rookie forward Cade Flores and the rest of the NorthPort bench scored a league season-high 88 points as the Batang Pier claimed back-to-back wins for a 2-1 start in the prestigious All-Filipino tournament.

“We have the luxury of players who can score, who can deliver, and who can finish. I’m just happy that we were able to capitalize on the distribution of the points,” said NorthPort head coach Bonnie Tan.

Flores showed the way for the bench mob with 21 points on a near-perfect 8-of-9 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, scattering 10 timely points in the fourth quarter as the Batang Pier warded off the Fuel Masters’ comeback.

The game marked Flores’ second straight double-double performance, but the former Arellano standout said he is not about personal milestones.

“I do not really play for achievements,” said Flores. “All I care about is winning. Whatever I can do, whether it is defense or working up a certain player, I’ll do it.”

Another rookie shone for NorthPort as No. 5 pick Zavier Lucero put up 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks as a reserve, while starters Joshua Munzon and Arvin Tolentino fired 17 and 15 points, respectively.

Jeff Chan added 17 points, Fran Yu posted 13 points, and Paul Zamar added 11 points as five of the seven Batang Pier players in double-figure scoring came off the bench.

“The second unit is very crucial for a very young NorthPort team because we’re still looking for our identity,” said Tan.

Allyn Bulanadi, who scored 6 points as part of that bench mob, gave the Batang Pier their biggest lead of the game at 90-76 late in the third quarter before Phoenix stormed back.

The Fuel Masters chipped away at their deficit and knotted the score at 113-113 off a Javee Mocon layup with three minutes remaining.

Yu, Tolentino, and Lucero, though, kept NorthPort afloat as they knocked down key free throws and field goals down the stretch.

Jason Perkins finished with 28 points and 7 rebounds to pace Phoenix, while Tyler Tio recorded 19 points and 4 assists before getting sidelined with a left foot injury midway through the fourth quarter.

The Scores

NorthPort 124 – Flores 21, Lucero 18, Munzon 17, Tolentino 15, Yu 13, Zamar 11, Bulanadi 6, Calma 2, Rosales 2, Paraiso 2,8Adamos 0, Amores 0, Cuntapay 0.

Phoenix 120 – Perkins 24, Tio 19, Jazul 15, Rivero 13, Tuffin 11, Manganti 9, Mocon 8, Soyud 4, Daves 4, Alejandro 3, Muyang 2, Garcia 2, Camacho 2, Lalata 0, Verano 0.

Quarters: 35-25, 61-52, 90-80, 124-120.

– Rappler.com

Bolick took over in the fourth quarter and finished with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists to guide NLEX to a come-from-behind 99-96 win over Meralco in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, March 6.

Held to 10 points in the first three quarters, Bolick exploded for 16 points in the final frame as the Road Warriors erased a double-digit deficit in the period to earn their second triumph in three games.

“We’re lucky to have Bolick. Just imagine if he is not on our team,” said Lim in Filipino.

“I want to look at it as a team effort. Each player made contributions. But of course, he is special.”

The Bolts propped up a 10-point lead with under seven minutes remaining off a Chris Newsome free throw, 85-75, before Bolick went on a personal tear, scoring all the points in a 12-4 run that pulled his side within 89-87.

Robbie Herndon then gave NLEX a 90-89 lead with a three-pointer off a Dominick Fajardo assist before Bolick sank four free throws in an 8-0 blitz as the Road Warriors made it 98-91.

But Meralco refused to crumble, answering with 5 straight points to inch within 98-96 and even getting a crack at forcing overtime when rookie Enoch Valdez split his free throws with under 15 seconds left.

Newsome, however, missed the game-tying three-pointer as the Bolts absorbed their second loss in three games.

Valdez backstopped Bolick with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals, while fellow rookie Jhan Nermal churned out 11 points.

Bolick, though, reserved his highest praises for Herndon and Fajardo, who delivered despite seeing limited action this conference.

Herndon chimed in 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Fajardo put up 6 points and 3 rebounds after being sidelined in the first two games.

“Shout out to Dom and Robbie. They gave us something extraordinary this game. The two won this game for us,” said Bolick.

Newsome turned in 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in another close defeat as Meralco also lost by just 3 points in its conference-opener against Blackwater exactly a week ago.

Raymar Jose had 14 points and 4 rebounds, Raymond Almazan tallied 13 points and 7 rebounds in his conference debut after sitting out the first two games with flu, while Allein Maliksi netted 12 points and 4 rebounds for Meralco.

The Scores

NLEX 99 – Bolick 26, Valdez 12, Nermal 11, Herndon 9, Semerad 9, Marcelo 7, Miranda 7, Fajardo 6, Nieto 5, Amer 3, Pascual 2, Ular 2.

Meralco 96 – Newsome 22, Jose 14, Almazan 13, Maliksi 12, Hodge 10, Torres 9, Black 5, Quinto 5, Banchero 4, Rios 2, Mendoza 0, Caram 0, Pascual 0.

Quarters: 26-28, 51-43, 64-72, 99-96.

– Rappler.com

So Cariaso wants the Bossing to “keep pushing” even as they extended their spotless run in the Philippine Cup with a commanding 90-78 win over hapless Converge at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, March 6.

Regaining solo lead in the team standings, Blackwater is a win away from tying its best unbeaten start in franchise history when it went 4-0 in the 2018 Governors’ Cup.

“We’re staying humble, we’re staying focused, because we know how quick things can turn. We’re just going to continue working hard,” said Cariaso.

Second overall pick Christian David fired a conference-high 16 points on top of 5 rebounds off the bench to show the way for four other double-figure scorers in the win that saw the Bossing enjoy a lead as big as 35 points.

RK Ilagan and Richard Escoto chimed in 12 points each as they joined hands with David in the first two quarters to help Blackwater pull away early.

Ilagan (12), Escoto (10), and David (9) combined for 31 points in the first half and outscored the entire FiberXers, allowing the Bossing to enter the break with a sizable 58-29 cushion.

That lead grew to its biggest at 70-35 midway through the third period off a three-pointer by Rey Suerte, who finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds.

Cariaso, though, sees plenty of room for improvement as Blackwater got outperformed in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter.

The Bossing still led comfortably at 90-66 with four minutes remaining before they went scoreless the rest of the way, with Converge ending the game on a 12-0 run to make the defeat more acceptable.

“Keep pushing. We want to maintain the good things that we’re doing now and then we want to improve on the things that we feel like we need to improve on and there is still a lot,” said Cariaso.

“We’re still very young together, if that makes sense.”

Veteran forward Troy Rosario added all-around numbers of 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists for Blackwater, which already eclipsed its two-win tally in the last two conferences where it posted a combined 2-20 record.

Alec Stockton posted 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, while Schonny Winston put up 22 points and 7 rebounds in the loss that dropped Converge to 0-3.

The FiberXers absorbed their seventh straight loss dating back to last conference and fell to a 1-13 record for the season.

The Scores

Blackwater 90 – David 16, Suerte 14, Ilagan 12, Escoto 12, Rosario 10, Nambatac 7, Yap 5, Sena 3, DiGregorio 3, Tungcab 2, Guinto 2, Kwekuteye 2, Hill 2, Jopia 0. 

Converge 78 – Stockton 24, Winston 22, Arana 18, Fleming 6, Fornilos 3, Balanza 2, Maagdenberg 1, Santos 0, Caralipio 0, Melecio 0, Nieto 0, Ambohot 0, Zaldivar 0.

Quarters: 30-14, 58-29, 76-50, 90-78.

– Rappler.com

Down by 17 points with nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter, NorthPort took advantage of a careless Converge FiberXers squad and eked out a 112-104 overtime escape for its first win in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, March 3. 

Arvin Tolentino showed the way for the Batang Pier with a near triple-double of 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Joshua Munzon got the job done on both ends with 17 markers, 6 boards, 6 steals, and 2 blocks.

“The players did not give up,” said NorthPort head coach Bonnie Tan of his wards.

“It was a collective effort on our team defense. We noticed that Converge doesn’t have a natural guard so we took advantage on the backcourt pressure.” 

With Converge threatening to pull away with an 84-67 lead, courtesy of a Mike Nieto layup, NorthPort came alive and went on a fiery 14-0 blast to cut the deficit to just 3, 81-84, with 6:30 left to play.

The Batang Pier eventually stole the lead from the reckless FiberXers, 93-91, off a Cade Flores layup at the 2:18 mark of the final frame, before both teams exchanged buckets in the crucial stages of the ball game.

Tied at 96-all after a clutch three by Converge guard Alec Stockton, Tolentino then had a golden opportunity to win it all for NorthPort in the final possession of the fourth quarter, but the Batang Pier star couldn’t connect on his potential game-winning triple.

In overtime, NorthPort easily pulled away from Converge as the FiberXers kept missing their shots, leading to wide-open baskets in transition for the Batang Pier.

Will Navarro had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Flores put up his own version of a double-double of 14 markers and 14 boards for NorthPort.

Stockton paced Converge with 27 points, while Justin Arana tallied 25 markers, along with 8 turnovers in the sorry loss.

Overall, Converge tallied 31 turnovers – 15 coming in the fourth quarter alone. 

The Batang Pier improved to a 1-1 slate, while the FiberXers fell to 0-2. 

The Scores

NorthPort 112 – Tolentino 31, Munzon 17, Navarro 16, Flores 14, Yu 8, Bulanadi 8, Calma 7, Zamar 5, Paraiso 3, Adamos 2, Taha 1, Rosales 0, Lucero 0, Chan 0.

Converge 104 – Stockton 27, Arana 25, Santos 11, Nieto 6, Ambohot 6, Fornilos 5, Winston 5, Caralipio 4, Delos Santos 3, Melecio 3, Zaldivar 3, Vigan-Fleming 2, Maagdenberg 2, Balanza 2. 

Quarters: 19-26, 42-53, 65-80, 96-96 (reg.), 112-104 (OT). 

– Rappler.com