Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 9) – After one year and four months, the Blackwater Bossing finally clinched a win in the PBA in their final 2021 Governors’ Cup game, halting their league worst 29-game losing streak on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Forward Barkley Eboña finally put an end to the grim record after converting a well-contested layup off a turnover with over 10 seconds left in the game, as the cellar dweller Bossing beat league leader Magnolia Pambansang Manok Hotshots, 101-100.
The last time Blackwater tasted a win in the league was on Oct. 17, 2020 against the NLEX Road Warriors in that year’s Philippine Cup held in a bubble in Angeles City, Pampanga.
“The monkey is off our back,” said Blackwater head coach Ariel Vanguardia in his first post-game press conference appearance.
After leading most of the game, the Bossing faced yet another late game collapse in the fourth period after the Hotshots fought back from an 11-point deficit.
Magnolia finally got the lead, 100-99, after veteran guard Mark Barroca made an inside shot with 48 seconds remaining in the game.
Blackwater import Shawn Glover and guard Paul Desiderio missed their attempts in the next possession, giving their opponents a chance to close out the game.
After a Hotshots timeout, Barroca committed a ball-handling turnover while crossing from the backcourt, leading to the Eboña basket despite being contested by Magnolia veteran big man Aris Dionisio.
Jackson Corpuz failed to nail a basket from the paint for Magnolia in the final play of the match.
Eboña finished with eight points, but Glover emerged as Blackwater’s top scorer with 33 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while former Gilas guard Rey Suerte contributed 16 markers.
“Luckily, we caught them because we have nothing to fight for. At least, we saw in this game that they still want to win. Our character was tested and that we can win in a close game,” added Vanguardia, whose team closed their Governors’ Cup campaign with a 1-10 slate.
It was a disappointing night for Barroca, who led Magnolia with his career-high 27 points. Import Mike Harris struggled with only 21 markers as they finished the 2021-22 PBA Governors’ Cup with a 9-2 record, holding the top quarterfinals seed.
The Scores:
BLACKWATER 101 – Glover 33, Suerte 16, Casio 12, Paras 12, Ebona 8, Desiderio 8, McCarthy 6, Ayonayon 6, Melton 0, Amboludto 0, Washington 0, Amer 0
MAGNOLIA 100 – Barroca 27, Harris 21, Dionisio 14, Lee 12, Wong 7, Reavis 5, Sangalang 5, Dela Rosa 4, Brill 3, Ahanmisi 2, Corpuz 0, Escoto 0
Quarterscores: 16-21, 48-45, 71-66, 101-100
