Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back from its opening loss against the Phoenix Fuel Masters with a massive 115-85 beatdown of the Blackwater Bossing on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The win evens Ginebra’s record to 1-1 in the PBA Governors’ Cup and drops Blackwater to 2-2.
What Happened?
Smarting from their loss to Phoenix, Ginebra wasted no time asserting control as Stephen Holt and Japeth Aguilar set the tone early for a 31-23 first-quarter lead. The barangay took full command in the second, with Ralph Cu hitting three of the team’s six triples en route to a 62-42 halftime lead.
Things only got worse for Blackwater in the third quarter as Ginebra’s hot shooting from the arc continued, sparking the barangay to another dominant quarter where they outscored the Bossing 34-21 for a nearly insurmountable 96-63 cushion heading into the final frame. The bench did the rest in the final 12 minutes, refusing to give Blackwater any headway to punctuate the rout.
Who Stood Out?
In a total team effort, Holt and Aguilar stood out the most. Holt bounced back from a scoreless first outing with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting to go along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Aguilar added 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Ralph Cu showed out as well, tallying 11 points off the bench, with 9 of them coming from those three second-quarter triples. RJ Abarrientos also had a nice bounce-back showing with 14 markers and 6 dimes.
Blackwater had very little going in this game, with import Kentrell Barkley the lone bright spot with his team-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. Sedrick Barefield added 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.
3 Keys to the Game
- Red-hot shooting. Ginebra absolutely shot lights out on Friday and was, at one point, shooting 58% overall and 50% from the arc. The barangay ended up shooting 53.7% overall and 45.5% from deep. Blackwater, in contrast, shot just 38.8% from the field.
- Sense of urgency. Right away, Ginebra’s sense of urgency was palpable, with Holt diving for the loose ball in the game’s very first possession. That motivation carried through the whole game, with Aguilar protecting the paint like he was in his prime and everyone moving with a purpose.
- Strong start. While Ginebra started off lethargic against Phoenix, they were on point against Blackwater, and that set the tone for the rest of the game. Again, Holt and Aguilar deserve much of the credit for this strong start that ultimately led to an even stronger finish.
Next Up for the PBA
Saturday, July 25, 2026 | Ynares Center – Antipolo
- Titan Ultra Giant Risers vs. Macau Giant Pandas (5:15 p.m.)
- TNT Tropang 5G vs. Terrafirma Dyip (7:30 p.m.)
