GlobalPort used a strong 3rd quarter to deflate their opponent, outscoring Blackwater 25-13 during the third. Alex Cabagnot flirted with a triple double, posting 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists, while rookie Anthony Semerad earned MVP honors for the game with 16 points on 6/7 shooting, while going 2/2 from the three point line.
The first quarter saw GlobalPort take a small 9-14 lead, but Blackwater came charging back, led by Bambam Gamalinda’s 13 points in the quarter. Blackwater was able to take a slim 1-point lead over GlobalPort to end the quarter, 20-19.
Larry Rodriguez opened the second quarter with a bucket to push the lead to 3, 22-19. But Blackwater found it difficult to score afterwards, with Bryan Faundo practically carrrying his team during the first half of the second quarter, scoring the team’s next 6 points on jumper after jumper. After 2 freethrows from Sunday Salvacion, GlobalPort went on a 9-0 run, going up 37-30, giving them the permanent lead. A Paul Artadi lay-up finally broke the scoring drought of Blackwater, but Buenafe answered right back with a triple, his 11th point of the game, putting his team up by 8, 40-32. Blackwater was able to claw their way back with back-to-back jumpers from Artadi and Eddie Laure that was capped off with a laure freethrow for a 5-0 run, cutting the lead to 3, 40-37. Back-to-back lay-ups from Stanley Pringle pumped the lead back to 7, 44-37, but was immediately answered by an Artadi 3. The quarter ended with a 5-point lead for GlobalPort, 45-40.
After a Blackwater basket, GlobalPort once again went on a 7-0 run. Semerad bagged a 3-point basket, followed by a Pringle hook shot, and the run was capped by a Keith Jensen floater, giving them a 10-point lead, 52-42, and forcing a Blackwater timeout. Making use of his speed, Artadi was able to drive through 3 defenders, hitting a lay-up that cut the deficit to 8, but back-to-back baskets from Pringle and Cabagnot squashed any Blackwater celebration. Midway through the third, GlobalPort was able to go on another run, sparked by a Cabagnot jumper, Semerad was able to complete a difficult lay-up, followed by a Semerad triple, giving GlobalPort a 65-49 lead. Both teams ended up trading baskets for the rest of the quarter, ending with a 70-53 lead for GlobalPort.
Things didn’t get any better for Blackwater during the final period. Halfway through the quarter, GlobalPort was once again able to go on another run. Jensen and Buenafe scored on back-to-back triples, followed by a Jensen jumper. The lead was now 24, the biggest of the game, 84-60 for GlobalPort. Blackwater attempted to cut the deficit, with Faundo scoring on 6 straight points, followed by 2 freethrows from Noy Baclao, they were able to bring the deficit down to 16, 84-68. The run was far too late, however, as Blackwater fell to GlobalPort, 87-72.
