B’water, Fruitas pull thru

BLACKWATER’s Gio Ciriacruz lays it up against Billy Ray Robles of
Hog’s Breath in yesterday’s game. PBA D-LEAGUE IMAGES / NUKI SABIO

Blackwater Sports got the crucial win it needed but Fruitas also survived a thriller to keep its own semifinal bid alive in the PBA D-League Foundation Cup yesterday at JCSGO Gym in Cubao.

The Elite rebounded with an 85-75 triumph over Hog’s Breath after blowing their first two chances to nail the outright semifinal berth.

But this time, the win wasn’t enough to seal it for the Elite as a surging Fruitas stayed in contention for the top two spots after slipping past Café France, 73-69, in the first game.

“We’ll just have to wait,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac after the Elite ended their elimination run with an 8-3 record.

The Shakers improved to 7-3 and can  forge a tie by winning their final assignment on Thursday.  In this scenario, the Shakers will claim the semifinal incentive due to the winner-over-the-other rule.

Only the top two teams at the end of the eliminations will jump straight to the Final Four, while the next four squads collide in the quarterfinals.

Idle NLEX (7-2), on a roll with seven straight victories, also remain in the running for the automatic semifinal slot.

Carlo Lastimosa paced the Shakers with 18 points and Jan Colina helped ensure the victory with an undergoal stab with 15 seconds left.

Before Colina’s clincher, the Shakers were clinging to a slim 70-69 lead after the Bakers rallied from a 15-point deficit, 43-58, behind Mike Parala.

Allan Mangahas shot eight in the Elite’s pivotal fourth-quarter run before finishing with 17 points to share scoring honors with Kevin Ferrer.

The Elite pulled off the victory despite registering only a 32.1 percent shooting clip.

“I think the stigma of our last two losses is still there,” said Isaac.

The scores:
First Game
FRUITAS 73—Lastimosa 18, Tolomia 11, Cruz 11, Escobal 10, Caram 10, Escoto 4, Antonio 3, Mendoza 2, Pogoy 2, Colina 2, Semira 0.
CAFE FRANCE 69—Parala 17, Rogado 12, Batino 9, Lopez 7, Knuttel 6, Silungan 5, Maconocido 5, Magbitang 5, Abundo 3, Gallardo 0, Cornejo 0, Magat 0.
Quarters: 25-17, 39-32, 61-47, 73-69
Second Game
BLACKWATER SPORTS 85—Ferrer 17, Mangahas A. 17, Vigil 10, Mangahas J. 8, Llagas 8, Chua 7, Pe 6, Singh 4, Mazo 4, Ciriacruz 4, Bagatsing 0, Austria 0, Suguitan 0.
HOG’S BREATH 75—Robles 18, Morillo 15, Cayabyab 13, Malinao 11, Armecin 7, Macasaet 4, Lima 3, Pacquiao 2, Pangilinan 2, Rabalo 0, Alguno 0.
Quarters: 17-24, 35-39, 56-58, 85-75