Blackwater secures 2nd consecutive victory, welcoming Coach Cariaso with a win over San Miguel Beermen

Blackwater Bossing delivered another heartbreaking blow to San Miguel Beer, narrowly clinching a 103-101 victory in the PBA On Tour at the Filoil EcoOil Center Sunday, July 2.

Jayvee Casio, showcasing his veteran experience, calmly sank three crucial free throws with 22.9 seconds left, giving the Bossing a slim 102-101 lead. The Beermen called a timeout to devise a plan to regain the advantage, but their hopes were dashed when Jericho Cruz’s wide-open, one-handed jumper bounced off the rim.

Baser Amer secured the rebound and sealed the final score with a single successful free throw, solidifying Blackwater’s first back-to-back wins in the tournament and elevating their record to an impressive 5-3.

Despite being expected to have limited playing time due to a remarkable performance of 24 points and eight rebounds in their previous victory over Phoenix Super LPG, Troy Rosario logged 30 minutes on the court, hitting 19 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out four assists.

“I feel sore right now, but the coaches said, ‘We need you today.’ So I had to fight through the soreness. It’s okay, we got the win,” expressed Rosario, displaying his determination to contribute to the team’s success.

“It’s a good thing we got this winning streak,” added the versatile forward-center. “This is the start of the PBA On Tour… we haven’t won consecutive games yet, so this is a great gift for Coach Jeff (Cariaso) upon his arrival.”

Coach Cariaso, who recently attended coaching clinics in the US, arrived last Wednesday but allowed assistant coach Jo Silva to handle the team’s strategy on the sidelines. Another new addition to the coaching staff, Mike Cortez, also made his debut in the coaching staff.

Jayvee Casio, Baser Amer, and Mike Digregorio all played significant roles in welcoming Cariaso and Cortez, each contributing 13 points to the team’s victory.

San Miguel Beer’s struggles continued as they fell to a 2-6 record after  their fifth consecutive defeat, with four of those losses coming by three points or less.

Allyn Bulanadi led the scoring for the Beermen with a game-high 26 points, while Jericho Cruz added 25 points. John Brondial, another regular contributor for SMB, posted a double-double with 10 markers and 12 rebounds.

Despite having most of their players in their 3×3 crew, San Miguel Beer put up a commendable fight. Bulanadi and Cruz orchestrated an 8-0 run, propelling the team to a 101-99 lead. However, a crucial foul called on John Apacible while attempting to challenge Jayvee Casio’s three-point shot opened the door for Blackwater to steal the victory.

Blackwater’s triumph secured their second consecutive win and served as a fitting welcome to Coach Cariaso and Assistant Coach Cortez. As the team builds momentum and resilience, they look forward to further success under their new coaching staff.

The boxscores:

Blackwater 103 – Rosario 19, DiGregorio 13, Casio 13, Amer 13, McCarthy 10, Sena 9, Suerte 8, Ilagan 6, Ayonayon 4, Banal 4, Publico 2, Ular 2, Escoto 0.

San Miguel 101 – Bulanadi 26, Cruz 25, Lee 15, Apacible 11, Brondial 10, Baclao 7, Faundo 4, Dela Cruz 3, De Vera 0.

Quarters: 28-21, 59-60, 79-75, 103-101.