The Blackwater Bossing pulled off a shocker on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, outlasting the San Miguel Beermen in a game full of twists and turns. The win improved the Bossing’s record in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup to 2-6 and kept their chances of making the quarterfinals alive. The loss dropped the Beermen to 4-5, which would make them the eighth seed if the playoffs started today.
What Happened?
Blackwater raced ahead to a 36-23 first-quarter lead on the strength of 21 combined points from Robert Upshaw III, Sedrick Barefield, and Christian David. The Bossing, still led by Upshaw’s hot shooting from four-point land, extended that lead to as much as 23 in the second frame before settling for a 65-50 halftime lead.
San Miguel, though, turned up the defense after intermission and wiped out Blackwater’s lead handily. The Beermen tied things up at 78 and then took a 94-92 lead to the fourth after outscoring Blackwater, 44-27, in the third. That set the stage for a thrilling, back-and-forth final frame that saw four ties and 10 lead changes—the last of which came at the 3:34 mark when David gave Blackwater back the lead for good, 115-114. The Bossing later sealed the win thanks to two undergoal stabs from BJ Andrade off his own offensive rebounds.
Who Stood Out?
Heroes were aplenty for Blackwater, starting with their big three of Upshaw, Barefield, and David. Upshaw started out hot in the first half and finished with 35 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists while doing just enough in the fourth even with fatigue catching up. Barefield had 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, and was masterful in the fourth as the Bossing’s closer. David added 15. Andrade, rookie CJ Austria, and veteran Paul Zamar all contributed as well to the upset.
San Miguel, meanwhile, saw big games from Bennie Boatwright, June Mar Fajardo, and Cjay Perez. Boatwright followed up his 41-point performance against the NLEX Road Warriors with a game-high 38, while Fajardo put up 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 steals. Perez, on the other hand, finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, and keyed that strong third quarter for the Beermen.
3 Keys to the Game
- Strong start. The Bossing’s sensational start—building a 23-point cushion in particular—proved to be a difference-maker. Blackwater needed every bit of that cushion it built in the first half to weather the fiery fightback of San Miguel.
- Barefield takeover. Pat Aquino put the ball in Barefield’s hands in the fourth, and he didn’t disappoint, time and again attacking San Miguel’s defense to get big buckets. He finished with 11 in the final frame while controlling the Blackwater offense.
- Bench play. The starters for both teams combined for 212 points, but Blackwater got 25 points from its reserves while San Miguel had only 9. Zamar and Austria accounted for 23 of those bench points for the Bossing while also making big shots in the fourth. Zamar had a huge four-pointer to give Blackwater a 98-96 lead, while Austria made two crucial buckets later to tie the game twice.
Next Up for the PBA
Friday, April 24, 2026 | Ninoy Aquino Stadium
TNT Tropang 5G vs. Macau Black Knights (5:15 p.m.)
Blackwater Bossing vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7:30 p.m.)
