After dropping their opening day assignment in this young season, the TNT KaTropa notched its first winning streak of the season, handing the Blackwater Elite their first loss of season, 99-92, Friday evening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Moala Tautaa finished with 20 points to lead KaTropa, to go along with four rebounds and 8-for-12 shooting. Jayson Castro also had 20 markers and 11-for-13 from the foul line off the bench for TNT.
Tautuaa and Castro led the team’s second quarter blitz to counter the Elite’s fiery 30-point first quarter tally. A nine-point first half lead by Blackwater was erased courtesy of the reinsertion of the starters that fueled a 16-8 closeout prior to intermission.
Despite a stellar effort from Mac Belo to try and overhaul TNT’s deficit, the KaTropa managed to keep the Elites at bay by their strong dominance on the boards. The aggressive crew of TNT also built their biggest lead with 7:30 to play in the game at 88-75.
The Elites made it tough down the stretch for TNT, as Belo racked up six straight points in the crucial stretch of the final frame. With under a minute to play, Blackwater successfully trimmed the lead to a manageable span, as Tautuaa also was assessed of an unsportsmanlike foul. However, the Elites blanked on their last two trips, while Ranidel De Ocampo’s free throws sealed the game.
TNT’s dominance in the glass spelled the difference, 52-43. Both teams also combined for a whopping 80 attempts from the charity stripe.
Belo had another fine outing in spite the defeat with 21 points on 5-for-10 shooting to lead all scorers, to go along with nine rebounds. John Pinto and Kyle Pascual both had 14 markers for the Elite.
TNT (2-1) will try to make it three straight victories against the Meralco Bolts (0-1), while Blackwater (2-1) tries to go back to the winning column against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters( 2-0). Both games will be played on Friday, December 9, at the Big Dome.
The Scores:
TNT (99) – Tautuaa 20, Castro 20, De Ocampo 15, Fonacier 11, Rosario 8, Rosser 8, Carey 5, Reyes 5, Williams 4, Pogoy 3, Hernandez 0, Rosales 0, Golla 0.
Blackwater (92) – Belo 21, K. Pascual 14, Pinto 14, Dela Cruz 12, Cervantes 10, Miranda 5, Ababou 4, Aguilar 4, Buenafe 4, Sena 4, Banal 0, R. Pascual 0, Forrester 0.
Quarterscores: 21-30, 50-46, 76-67, 99-92
