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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
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04
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19
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2024
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SERVICES
THE INQUIRER COMPANY
04
19
2024
DIPOLOG CITY – Blackwater finally ended a losing spell in the PBA Governors’ Cup, outmaneuvering the injury-hit Barangay Ginebra San Miguel side in the crunch for an 83-77 decision in a Petron Blaze Saturday Special at the Dipolog City Sports Center here.
The Elite pounced on the Kings’ lapses and misses in the final minute as they checked their scrambling start in the season-ending tourney marked by blowout losses to the Alaska Aces, the GlobalPort Batang Pier and the Barako Bull Energy.
Marcus Douthit and his teammates came through at the finish versus Ginebra and thus forged a tie with the Kings at 1-3.
The Elite held Ginebra scoreless in the last 1:04 of play and got away with six charities courtesy of Douthit, Eddie Laure and Brian Heruela in the same stretch to post their first win since closing out their stint in the Commissioner’s Cup with an upset of the Meralco Bolts.
From the start of the Commissioner’s Cup, the expansion ball club has earned four wins. It had a winless stint in the Philippine Cup.
A big key against Ginebra was a good helping defense on prolific import Orlando Johnson with Douthit being the last line of that defense.
One huge stoppage was Douthit helping out and swatting away a shot by Johnson with Blackwater barely ahead at 78-77 with 45 ticks left.
In their succeeding possession, Douthit went to the line and knocked in charities that made it 80-77 with time down to 23.9 seconds.
Heruela had his own defensive gem in the next play, intercepting a throw-in by Sol Mercado intended for Dorian Pena.
Desperately fouled by Mercado, Heruela canned a free throw to make it a two-possession game with just 18.2 seconds to go.
And the Elite eventually escaped with the win as LA Tenorio misfired a harried three-pointer.
Eddie Laure, Douthit and Heruela combined for six crucial free throws in all from a 77-all count in the final minute of the game as the Elite finally notched a “W.”
The Kings, meanwhile, suffered yet another loss while continuously missing injured players Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter and Chris Ellis.
Aguilar finally showed up in uniform but just stayed on the bench.
With only Dave Marcelo, Rodney Brondial and Dorian Peña to contend with, Marcus Douthit asserted himself on both ends, finishing with 24 markers.
Johnson was limited to 30 points, a far cry from his whopping average of 47.6 in his first three games in the local pro league.
LA Tenorio contributed 17 markers but Mark Caguioa, Mac Baracael and Jayjay Helterbrand were also contained by the Elite.
Bam Gamalinda and Reil Cervantes backed up Douthit with 18 and 14 points, respectively. (SB)
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