Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
For all the fanfare given to young studs like Mac Belo and Art dela Cruz, a huge chunk of Blackwater’s victories should also be credited to its support group.
While Dela Cruz and Belo did most of the damage to help the Elite pull away for a 96-85 victory last Wednesday over NLEX, other players also stepped up and kept the team afloat.
Other heroes emerged, each providing their contributions to help Blackwater end its two-game slide.
Ronjay Buenafe hit timely shots to set the tone early against the Road Warriors, firing nine of his 13 points in the first quarter as he went on a 3-of-9 shooting from threes.
“There’s no star players here. We work hard on offense and defense. What we do, we move the ball around, so
whoever is free will be the one to shoot,” Buenafe said.
Nard Pinto surprisingly led the team in rebounding, hauling down 13 boards, six of which coming on the offensive end.
“I’m just fortunate because was aggressive. I was also surprised because the ball keeps falling on me. I’m just grabbing what I can for the team,” said Pinto.
Kyle Pascual also netted a new career-high of 16 markers on top of five boards in the win.
It’s these contributions which has allowed coach Leo Isaac to enjoy the team’s best start yet with the
supporting crew accepting their roles in the squad.
“All of us have our own roles. We’re trying to make the most of our opportunity each game,” said Pascual.
“We just know our roles and do the best we can. We know Mac Belo and Art dela Cruz are going to get their points every game, so every one just chips in offensively and defensively.”
Buenafe also knows they need to step up defensively to complement the scoring provided by Belo and Dela Cruz.
“That’s what coach Leo has been emphasizing, that it’s our defense which will win us games.”
One of the veterans of the team, Buenafe believes that if the Elite can stay the course, only
good things can happen for them.
“We need to continue playing this way so we can extend our streak,” he said. “As long as we help each other, we’ll be okay. “