LED BY 2 SOLs, BARAKO BULL ROUTS IMPORT-LESS BLACKWATER

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ITS two new Sols seem to be perfect fits for Barako Bull.

Sol Mercado and namesake Sol Alabi played big games and, coupled with Blackwater showing up with an injured import, the Energy had little trouble in notching a runaway 92-70 win Wednesday at the start of their PBA Commossioner’s Cup campaign at the Astrodome.

Mercado, acquired from GlobalPort for Denok Miranda just before the mid-season conference started, scored 20 points, a far cry from the career-low 6.4 ppg average he posted after starting the season with San Miguel Beer.

For his part, Alabi proved to be for the dominant inside force the Energy needs as the 7-foot-1 Nigerian debuted with game-highs of 21 points, 22 rebounds and five blocked shots and fueled Barako Bull’s big endgame surge that enabled the team to fully put away the gutsy Blackwater side.

Chico Lanete and JC Intal also made major contributions, but it was Mercado also dishing out three assists while efficiently orchestrating Barako Bull’s plays that drew the most praise from Energy coach Coy Banal.

“Si Sol (Mercado) nag-deliver siya, kaya right now we’re not missing the services of Denok,” said Banal. “We got a gem as well in Sol Mercado.”

Banal also has good words for his import as well. “Si Alabi I can’t ask for more,” said the tactician. “He delivered and he was the ring protector we wanted. I also like his attitude, madaling bigyan ng instructions at sumusunod.”

It didn’t hurt Barako Bull any that Blackwater’s own 7-foot import, Chris Charles, suited up but did not see action as management opted to rest his strained left hamstring suffered during a tuneup game over the last weekend.

Bryan Faundo’s 16 points and eight rebounds led Blackwater, but no other Elite scored in double figures as they slid to a 12th straight loss since the Philippine Cup, alarmingly closer to the 0-14 record posted by Shopinas.com during the 2011-12 season-opening tourney.

Still, it took a big 30-point fourth quarter by Barako Bull while holding Blackwater to just 12 before the Energy could join opening day winners GlobalPort and Meralco, the latter an 85-74 victor over Barangay Ginebra late Tuesday.

Banal said holding Blackwater down was by design. “Ang goal namin this conference is to give our opponents 22 points at most per quarter,” he said. “I think we did better than that today.”

It was indeed an impressive job by the Energy on the defensive end as Blackwater failed to buy a single point since crawling to within 70-81, still 5:50 left.

Lanete added 19 points and Intal 13, and even the likes of RR Garcia and Nico Salva hit their stride in the closing minutes.

Forced to take outside shots due to Alabi’s imposing presence, the Elite went 0-for-13 from the floor and committed a turnover to cap their sorry opener.

That was practically the theme throughout the game, with Barako building up sizable leads and Blackwater gallantly fighting back.

In the stretch that mattered most, however, the Elite simply could not match the Energy, putting to naught the former’s valiant stand.

Still, just when everybody thought Barako Bull would run away with the win after erecting a 53-37 spread, Blackwater reprised what it did earlier by fighting back to within 58-62 going to the final canto.

Faundo was the main man for the Elite in that surge when he scored 10 of his points off four jumpers and a driving hook while rookie Brian Heruela’s five straight points were capped by a three-point play that made it 58-60.

Only Alabi’s side-stepping drive snapped Barako Bull out of its funk, a fact Mercado and Lanete stressed by combining for 10 straight points opening up the fourth period and making it a 72-58 game. Willie Wilson then made a surprise triple, extending the lead to 75-58.

Val Acuna, Bambam Gamalinda, Faundo and new acquisition Raphy Reyes pulled the team within 11, but that would prove to be Blackwater’s last gasp.

It was practically the same story in the first half.

With Alabi already having 10 points and 16 rebounds and Mercado and Intal combining for 19 points, Barako Bull went on a run late in the second quarter to take a 43-35 lead at the half.

Lanete, Alabi, Intal and Mercado conspired for a 15-1 charge that lifted the Energy from a 28-32 deficit and into a 43-33 advantage.

In that six-minute span, Blackwater shot 0-for-10 from the floor and committed a turnover, with its only point coming off a technical free throw by Reyes off an Intal infraction.

It took an 18-foot jumper from Eddie Laure before the Elite could snap out of the spell.

That first half windup was in stark contrast to the gallant stand Blackwater put up earlier, when it came back from an early nine-point deficit to even lead by 32-28 off a Heruela basket, 7:11 to go before the break.

Then Alabi returned and the Elite were forced to try and wage the fight from outside – with very little luck. (NC)

The scores:

BARAKO BULL 92 – Alabi 21, Mercado 20, Lanete 19, Intal 13, Wilson 5, Garcia 4, Pascual 4, Salva 3, Lastimosa 2, Hubalde 1, Pena 0, Marcelo 0, Salvador 0, Paredes 0, Sorongon 0.

BLACKWATER 70 – Faundo 16, Reyes 9, Heruela 9, Gamalinda 8, Ballesteros 7, Nuyles 6, Acuna 5, Erram 4, Laure 4, Bulawan 2, Charles 0, Timberlake 0, Celiz 0, Ciriacruz 0, Austria 0.

Quarterscores: 23-17, 43-35, 62-58, 92-70

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