Coming off a 92-93 overtime loss to Phoenix last Wednesday, Nico Salva did not allow the Meralco Bolts to suffer another setback this time around.
Salva was a man possessed in the final frame, scoring 12 of his 14 points to hand the Meralco Bolts a 99-94 victory over the Blackwater Elite, Saturday evening at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo City.
The 6-foot-4 cager out of Ateneo – who tallied a career-high 24 points against Phoenix – only missed one shot in the last 12 minutes of the contest.
“Nico Salva came up with big shots in the fourth quarter that gave us the opportunity to separate from them in the endgame,” said Meralco head coach Norman Black.
And the biggest came when Blackwater fought back, as the Elite turned a 64-73 deficit into a 76-73 lead.
With the game knotted at 78-all, rookie Trevis Jackson nailed a triple, before Salva scored six straight points. A costly turnover by Raymar Jose with 12 ticks remaining sealed the deal for Meralco.
Meralco even their slate to 1-1 while dropping Blackwater to 0-2.
“I’m happy with the win. It’s nice to get into the win column for the new year,” lamented Black.
Jackson finished with 19 points.
But it was not just Jackson who had a standout rookie performance, as Paul Desiderio – the fourth overall pick in the 2018 Draft – had nine rebounds, four assist, and two points.
Allein Maliksi led the Elite with 17 points, while Roi Sumang added 16 points and nine boards. Jose finished with a double-double line of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Complementing Salva and Jackson, on the other hand, were Cliff Hodge, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Chris Newsome, who chipped in eight rebounds, seven assists, and three points.
The Bolts will have a six-day break before facing the San Miguel Beermen on Friday, January 25, at the same venue. On the other hand, Blackwater will have ample time to regroup before they take on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on Wednesday, January 30, at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
The Scores
Meralco 99 – Jackson 18, Tolomia 15, Salva 14, Amer 13, Hodge 12, Hugnatan 10, Caram 7, De Ocampo 6, Newsome 3, Faundo 0, Dillinger 0, Quinto 0.
Blackwater 94 – Maliksi 17, Sumang 16, Jose 15, Belo 12, Digregorio 11, Tratter 8, Javier 8, Dario 3, Desiderio 2, Palma 2, Alolino 0.
Quarterscores: 16-25, 48-42, 73-64, 99-94.
