The first game of Friday’s PBA doubleheader at the Ynares Center in Montalban featured perennial bottom-dwellers Blackwater Bossing and Terrafirma Dyip. Of the two, it was the former that showed promise, pulling out a convincing 107-87 victory over the latter, who appear to be in line for another long, dreadful season.
What Happened?
Blackwater cooked up a third-quarter storm, outscoring Terrafirma 29-19 to turn a 50-42 halftime lead into a 79-61 lead. RK Ilagan led that charge, hitting two triples early as he took over from Christian David, who started off hot with 18 points in the first 24 minutes of play. David, Ilagan, and the rest of the Bossing didn’t let their foot off the proverbial gas pedal, scoring 28 more points to finish off the Dyip in style.
Who Stood Out?
David was sensational early, setting the tone with 14 first-quarter points and 18 before intermission. Ilagan then picked up the cudgels in the second half to lead Blackwater to its first win. David finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Ilagan scattered 22 markers to go along with his game-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals.
Over at the Terrafirma side, Jerrick Ahanmisi was a silver lining, matching David point-for-point in the first half as he came off the bench to spark Terrafirma early. He finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals and was 6-for-9 from downtown.
3 Keys to the Game
- Boss-y starters for Bossing. Blackwater’s starters got the job done versus Terrafirma, outscoring their counterparts 70-42. David and Ilagan alone scored more points (46) than the Dyip’s starting five (42).
- Blackwater’s offensive rebounding. The Bossing grabbed 23 offensive boards to Terrafirma’s 10, and that resulted in a 12-6 advantage in second-chance points. Abu Tratter and Cliff Hopia between them finished with 8 offensive rebounds, nearly matching the Dyip’s output.
- Free points for Bossing. Blackwater had a big advantage in free throws, getting to the stripe 31 times compared to Terrafirma’s 17. The Bossing converted 23 of those attempts, while the Dyip made just 11, giving the former 12 more points.
Next Up for the PBA
Opening-day foes Titan Ultra Giant Risers and Meralco Bolts will return to action, this time against separate foes and PBA Season 50 debutants Converge FiberXers and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. This doubleheader will take place at the Ynares Center in Montalban.
Titan Ultra vs. Converge | Meralco vs. Rain or Shine
