SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
MANILA, Philippines – The NorthPort Batang Pier kept their fiery run in the PBA Governors’ Cup going as they crushed the Blackwater Bossing, 116-103, on Wednesday, March 2, at the Araneta Coliseum.
High-scoring guard Robert Bolick, who missed NorthPort’s past two outings due to his commitment with Gilas Pilipinas, shone bright in his return in a Batang Pier jersey, finishing with 30 points on 6-of-12 shooting from deep, together with 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
Import Jamel Artis and veteran forward Arwind Santos, meanwhile, added 26 and 21 points, respectively, for NorthPort, which captured its fourth straight win and improved to 4-5 in the standings – tied with the Phoenix Fuel Masters.
“It’s a total team effort. Everybody stepped up, especially in the first group,” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio.
“Everybody wants to win. From 0-5, we worked hard for this fourth straight win,” he added.
After leading by only 7 points at the end of the first quarter, 35-28, NorthPort shifted into high gear in the second period to create separation over Blackwater, 66-54, at the half.
The Batang Pier then continued to shoot the lights out in the third period, outscoring the Bossing, 29-21, to stretch their lead to its biggest at 20 points, 95-75.
A 16-4 run by the Bossing early in the final frame inched them closer to within just 8, 99-91, but Santos crushed any hopes of a Blackwater comeback as he quickly scored five straight points to extend NorthPort’s lead back to 13, 104-91, with only 5:33 left on the clock.
Shawn Glover led the way for the Bossing in the losing effort with a monster double-double of 47 points and 12 rebounds, while Paul Desiderio and JVee Casio contributed 17 and 13 points, respectively.
Blackwater, which suffered its record-extending 28th straight defeat dating back to the 2020 Philippine Cup, remained as the only winless team in the standings with a 0-9 slate.
NorthPort will look to extend its winning streak further when it faces the Terrafirma Dyip on Saturday, March 5, at 4 pm, while Blackwater hopes to finally put an end to its long and painful losing skid when it tangles with the returning TNT Tropang Giga on Friday, March 4, at 3 pm.
The Scores
NorthPort 116 – Bolick 30, Artis 26, Santos 21, Malonzo 16, Balanza 10, Taha 9, Doliguez 2, Rike 2, Ferrer 0.
Blackwater 103 – Glover 47, Desiderio 17, Casio 13, Mccarthy 11, Paras 6, Amer 5, Melton 3, Ebona 1, Washington 0, Suerte 0, Amboludto 0, Escoto 0, Ayonayon 0, Baloria 0.
Quarters: 35-28, 66-54, 95-75, 116-103.
– Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.