Blackwater’s newly acquired player Ricci Rivero wasted no time in leading the team to the knockout stage of the PBA 3×3 Third Conference final leg for Season 2.
Rivero, 24, made his tournament debut and scored eight points to help the Red President beat NorthPort Batang Pier, 21-19.
In the team’s second game, Rivero’s brother Prince took over and scored nine points in a 22-16 victory over defending champion Platinum Karaoke.
The two-game sweep of Pool A was a great way for Blackwater to finish their Leg 6 pool campaign on a high note.
Rivero, a former national player for both the 3×3 and 5-on-5 teams, was signed by Blackwater just this week in time for Leg 6 and the third conference grand finals of the standalone tournament.
His performance in his tournament debut showed that he is ready to contribute to his new team’s success.
Platinum Karaoke also advanced to the next round with a 20-16 win over NorthPort, claiming the other quarterfinals seat in Pool A.
In Pool B, Terrafirma pulled off an upset win by beating multi-leg winner Cavitex, 19-17. The Dyip had earlier absorbed a 19-15 loss to Ginebra but managed to end their pool campaign with an even 1-1 record.
In Pool C, J&T split its two games, routing Purefoods 21-10, but losing to TNT, 21-15. Pioneer Elastoseal did the same in Pool D, scoring a 21-16 win over San Miguel before dropping a 15-11 loss to Meralco.
A total of eight teams will vie for the P100,000 top purse in Sunday’s quarterfinals. The knockout stage promises to be an exciting affair, with some of the best players in the league battling it out for the top prize.
