Magnolia routs Blackwater in rousing start to PH Cup campaign

Magnolia threw its weight around inside the paint and thrashed Blackwater, 106-84, to open its PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup campaign on a rousing fashion Saturday, April 5 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Magnolia threw its weight around inside the paint and thrashed Blackwater, 106-84, to open its PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup campaign on a rousing fashion Saturday, April 5 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Big men Zav Lucero and Ian Sangalang took turns in spearheading the Hotshots to a huge 32-20 third-quarter turnaround to pull away for good against a hard-fighting Bossing squad.

Lucero led the way with 21 points – 12 of which he poured in the pivotal third frame – to go with his seven rebounds, while Sangalang scattered nine points in the same quarter to finish with a double-double performance of 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Magnolia frontline actually led the team’s balanced attack that also saw three other players finishing in double figures with Mark Barroca firing 14 points, and Jerom Lastimosa and Calvin Abueva chipping in 13 points apiece. The Hotshots, which suffered an early quarterfinals exit last conference, came out smoking in the opening frame by firing 34 points against the Bossing’s only 22.



Blackwater, though, rolled with the punches before retaliating in the second frame behind the efforts of Christian David and the fit-again Sedrick Barefield to cut the lead down to seven, 46-53, at intermission. Magnolia, however, rediscovered its fiery touch and went on a back-breaking 18-2 run to turn a tight 61-57 contest into a huge 79-59 advantage with 3:33 left in the third canto. Barefield and David tried to will their team back into the contest but Magnolia never looked back since then to pick up its first win in the conference.

David exploded for 31 points while Barefield had 24 points, seven assists and four rebounds in a losing effort for Blackwater..