ALLEIN Maliksi and Nards Pinto conspired for Blackwater in overtime as the Elite pulled off a 104-98 stunner over TnT Katropa in the PBA Governors Cup on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Maliksi and Pinto scored all but one of the team's 18 points in the extra period to finish a job the Elite couldn't quite complete in regulation against TnT - the only team it hadn't beaten in franchise history before the game.
Maliksi finished with a season-high 28 points including nine in overtime as the Elite dealt the KaTropa their second loss in three games.
"Ang sarap manalo," said an emotional Bong Ramos, who went 1-10 in his debut conference as Blackwater coach. "Ang haba kasi ng talo namin last conference.So sino ba ang hindi maiiyak sa panalo na yan."
Maliksi added nine rebounds in Blackwater's opening game while import Henry Walker had 23 points and 14 rebounds, all but one of them off the defensive boards.
Rabeh Al-Hussaini, taking the starting center spot from Poy Erram, currently on loan to the national team in the Asian Games, came through with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Pinto added 12, including six in overtime.
"The players just played defense. Mababa yung score kung napansin nyo. Umabot lang siya ng 100 nung overtime na," said Ramos, who failed to hold back tears of joy after the game. "But I told the players pabor sa atin ito."
Regulation ended at 86-all after Walker completed a steal off Terrence Romeo and soared high for a one-handed slam.
Romeo paced the Katropa with 24 points while Jayson Castro added 20, including 12 in the fourth period when he willed the team back from a 73-80 deficit and to an 86-82 lead with 1:39 left in regulation.
New import Stacy Davis accounted for 23 points and 16 rebounds, although it was obvious the former Pepperdine University standout was still jetlagged after arriving in the country just a day earlier.
Davis, who replaced Mike Glover, shot 9-of-26 from the field.
The scores:
Blackwater (104) - Maliksi 28, Walker 23, Al-Hussaini 13, Pinto 12, Digregorio 8, Belo 6, Cortez 5, Jose 5, Zamar 2, Javier 2, Banal 0, Sena 0, Palma 0.
TnT Katropa (98) - Romeo 24, Davis 23, Castro 20, Pogoy 11, Garcia 5, Semerad 4, Gola 3, Harvey 2, Rosario 2, Williams 2, Cruz 2.
Quarterscores: 21-18; 38-38; 62-63; 86-all (regulation); 104-98
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