Ola Adeogun of NLEX (light) vs Allan Mangahas and Pari Llagas of Blackwater (dark). NUKI SABIO/ PBAIMAGES
MANILA, Philippines — A furious fourth-quarter turnaround carried NLEX to a 103-86 win over erstwhile-finals tormentor Blackwater Thursday in the 2014 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the JCSGO Gym.
Trailing by 15 points with four minutes left in the third quarter, the Road Warriors then caught fire and churned 55 points in the next one and half periods to bury the Elite.
“We gave them a dose of their own medicine,” said head coach Boyet Fernandez. “In the second half, the players really stepped up as we stuck to our press and came back.”
The Road Warriors’ press defense did them wonders as they peeled away in the fourth, forcing the Elite to commit useless miscue which they handily converted into points.
“They missed their shots and we forced turnovers. Our energy starts with our D, so when we used the press, we were able to run and score.”
Kevin Alas, who remained cool and collected amid such a chippy match, led with 23 points while the energetic Nigerian center Ola Adeogun added 18 points and 10 boards.
Adeogun gave the jolt NLEX needed to sustain the energy as he scored on six straight points barely a minute into the fourth period.
Gio Ciriacruz gave Blackwater the lead back for the last time, 74-73, but Alas, Garvo Lanete (17 points) Art Dela Cruz (16 points), and Ronald Pascual (8 points) continued what Adeogun started and broke the game wide open.
The Road Warriors, the league’s winningest franchise, kept their hold of the second spot with an 8-1 record, just behind Big Chill (10-1).
Guard Allan Mangahas, meanwhile, tried to power Blackwater to a better record as the elimination round winds down but his 22 points weren’t enough.
Mangahas, after a 12-point third period showing, was held to just two measly points in the fourth period, where the Elite were just held to 14 points.
Four others finished in double digits but just combined for 12 in the final frame as the Elite slid to 6-4 in the standings.