After ending the opening round of the PBA Governor’s Cup with a frustrating 93-102 defeat to the Fuel Masters, the Bossing made sure history would not repeat itself.
They turned the tables on Wednesday night, using a dominant fourth-quarter finish to pull away for a 106-100 victory at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and breathe new life into their campaign.
The win carried extra weight for Blackwater, which had dropped three straight games to close out the first round and entered the second phase of Group B competition needing a momentum-shifting performance.
Sedrick Barefield made certain his second meeting with Phoenix would be remembered for different reasons.
The sophomore guard, who was limited to just 10 points on 5-of-19 shooting in their previous encounter, erupted for 26 points this time. Eleven of those came in the final period as Blackwater unleashed a decisive 29-14 closing run that erased Phoenix’s hopes of completing another victory over the Bossing.
“I feel like I had some of my best games against Phoenix so not having a great game against them last time kind of put a bad taste in the mouth,’’ Barefield said.
His late-game takeover reflected the urgency inside the Blackwater locker room.
“We knew today was important, if we lost, it would become tough for us going forward. It was do or die for us so that set the tone,” the sophomore guard said.
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While Barefield delivered the finishing blows, import Kentrell Barkley provided the steady production that kept the Bossing within striking distance throughout the contest. Barkley powered Blackwater with 34 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists, while RK Ilagan chipped in 15 points and six rebounds.
Head coach Pat Aquino praised Barefield’s growing influence after another clutch performance.
“I love what Sed has been doing. He is becoming the leader of the team. He took over,” Aquino said.
Phoenix, meanwhile, leaned heavily on import BJ Johnson, who exploded for a game-high 45 points in a losing effort. Ricci Rivero added 15 points, while Kai Ballungay finished with 12 as the Fuel Masters were unable to hold off Blackwater’s late surge.
Despite the setback, Phoenix remained tied with Rain or Shine atop Group B with a 4-2 win-loss record.
For Blackwater, the victory was more than just revenge. Improving to 3-3, the Bossing halted their three-game slide and put themselves back in the hunt as the second round gets underway.
Blackwater will try to build on its renewed momentum when it takes on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on Sunday, August 9, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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