Belo shines in debut as Blackwater gets first-ever opening win
MAC Belo got the pleasant debut most expected and Blackwater now has one monkey off its back.
Belo notched a team-high 17 points on top of nine rebounds as the Elite won its very first opener, a 94-87 decision over Phoenix last night in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Also playing big roles are sophomore Art dela Cruz, who wound up with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, and veteran Denok Miranda, who scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth period that helped keep Blackwater’s head above water.
Still, it was Belo who hogged the limelight after the former PBA D-League MVP and Gilas standout churned out a solid all-around performance in his first game as a pro and propped the Elite’s bid to snap a six-game losing spell in their conference openers.
Belo’s heroics included a clutch baseline jumper that made it 87-80 and a pair of free throws that made it a 92-85 count, only 36.1 seconds left.
“May potential iyung bata, pero you have to guide him,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac.
“Meron pa rin siyang maliit na pagkakamali and that’s where the coaches should step in, to guide him para iyung tools niya would be properly sharpened and he would turn out to be the player he is projected to be.”
The victory also marked the first time Blackwater beat Phoenix, which took over the Barako Bull franchise middle of last season.
Just getting a win on their very first game is good enough for Isaac.
“Best start for Blackwater in any conference,” noted Isaac. “As I’ve said, it’s a new season for us. We’ve got some players who we really wanted. We’ve got renewed energy and new hope,” said Isaac.
Sophomore Simon Enciso scored a career-high 25 points and JC Intal added 12, rookie Gelo Alolino 11 and Willy Wilson notched his own double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
But after coming back from an early 13-point deficit and turning the game into a tight one Phoenix completely lost its grip in the stretch that mattered most.
Enciso, acquired from NLEX last season, boomed in back-to-back triples to cap the Fuel Masters’charge from a 75-84 deficit and to within 83-87.
The uprising was quickly quelched through freebies by Miranda, John Pinto and Belo before Dela Cruz scored off a goal-tending violation by Intal that made it a very safe 94-85 count, only 28 ticks remaining.
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