MERALCO blew a 20-point lead in the face of a furious Blackwater rally but gallantly held on for a much-needed 120-115 victory on Tuesday in the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Jordon Varnado, Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge scored crucial baskets in the endgame to bring the Bolts back to life after the Bossing came charging back behind Sedrick Barefield to grab the upperhand, 113-111.
Meralco held on from there to move up to fourth place in Group B with a 4-5 win-loss record while relegating Blackwater into a tie with Barangay Ginebra for fifth and last place on 3-5 slates.
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Only the top four teams in Group B will advance to the quarterfinals.
“Credit Blackwater. We were in our flow. They changed their line-up. They went small ball a bit that could switch. And that switching worked for a while, but at least in the last two minutes where it could have gone either way, we made a couple of basketball plays,” said Meralco coach Luigi Trillo.
Varnado scored a team-high 31 points including a lay-up that pushed Meralco’s lead to 118-113 with 27.3 seconds left, essentially sealing the win in a game where the Bolts held an 86-66 lead.
Newsome had 24 points including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:29 left, 14-113. Varnado then dished off an assist to Hodge for a lay-up with 1:04 remaining to extend the lead to 116-113.
Barefield had 31 points including a three with 1:47 left to give Blackwater the 113-111 lead, but the Bossing couldn’t preserve it. Kentrell Barkley had 29 points and 11 rebounds.
The scores:
Meralco 120 – Varnado 31, Newsome 24, Quinto 15, Hodge 12, Brickman 10, Mocon 9, Bates 7, Banchero 6, Cansino 6, Almazan 0.
Blackwater 115 – Barefield 31, Barkley 29, Ilagan 15, Panopio 10, Una 9, Tratter 7, David 5, Escoto 3, Murrell 3, DiGregorio 3, Demusis 0, Austria 0, Cruz-Dumont 0, Mallillin 0.
Quarters: 32-36; 68-58; 97-86; 120-115.
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