Blackwater stopped a seven-game losing streak and wrapped up its PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup campaign with four wins.
Jaydee Tungcab found an open lane from the left elbow then lunged towards the basket for an emphatic dunk as Blackwater essayed a 102-83 win over Phoenix to end what turned out to be a woeful campaign in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup on a winning note Saturday, May 4.
The Bossing took seven games to follow up on its strong 3-0 start.
Meanwhile, the Fuel Masters suffered their eighth loss in a conference that saw them miss the services of top point guard Tyler Tio for the most part due to an ankle injury.
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Tungcab turned in a career-high 19 points built on five-three-pointers he embellished with five rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead Blackwater's graceful strut to the exits.
But it was not just him.
The Bossing capitalized on Phoenix’s reed-thin frontline after Raul Soyud and Matthew Daves sat out the match in the penultimate playdate of the All-Filipino conference.
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Troy Rosario exploited that advantage, imposing his might in the shaded area and dropping 11 of his 17 points in the fourth period where Blackwater used a 12-0 run to post a 77-69 lead it never relinquished.
Rosario also had 14 rebounds for the Bossing, who scored 27 second chance points and tallied 15 steals as a team.
Troy Rosario backs Jaydee Tungcab with his second-best 17 points for Blackwater. | Photo (c) PBA
Rey Nambatac contributed 16 points while RK Ilagan and Bradwyn Guinto added 11 points apiece.
Phoenix tried to keep in step with the raging Blackwater in the final frame, but Jason Perkins’ 22-point, eight-rebound game just could not cut it.
As the Bossing regained their steam in the fourth period, they were simply unstoppable, even leading by 17, 98-81, on Nambatac’s breakaway layup with two minutes and eight seconds to go.
JJ Alejandro scored 14 to backstop Perkins.
The Scores:
BLACKWATER 102 – Tungcab 19, Rosario 17, Nambatac 16, Guinto 11, Escoto 10, Hill 8, Casio 3, Chua 3, Suerte 2, Kwekuteye 2, David 0, Jopia 0.
PHOENIX 83 – Perkins 22, Alejandro 14, Lalata 9, Tuffin 7, Mocon 7, Rivero 7, Camacho 6, Verano 6, Salado 3, Jazul 2, Garcia 0.
Quarterscores: 18-11, 30-36, 65-69, 102-83