Young guns took the spotlight as Phoenix Super LPG added to the woes of Blackwater, 110-99, to collect its second win in as many games in the 2021 PBA Governors’ Cup, Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
New acquisitions Sean Manganti and Simon Camacho both proved their worth, playing a key part in the Fuel Masters’ big second half en route to extending the Bossings’ historic losing slump to 21 consecutive games.
Part of the Vic Manuel-Sean Anthony trade with NorthPort last November, Manganti finished with 17 points, missing just one of his seven shots from the floor. He also added three rebounds and a block without a turnover.
Camacho, on the other hand, chimed in 10 markers. Picked up by the ball club following a strong showing in Filbasket where he earned MVP honors, he had a 5-of-7 clip and hauled down four boards, two steals, and two blocks.
“They really played well. They’re young, they wanna prove their worth,” said head coach Topex Robinson. “Simon and Sean are really helping us a lot.”
Chris Banchero spearheaded Phoenix’s balanced attack with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in under 30 minutes of play.
Import Paul Harris produced 19 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists as Phoenix gained a share of leadership with Alaska and NLEX.
“We still have nine more games, and two wins will get you nowhere. But we want to make sure we get one win every time we play. Just try to play aggressively,” said Robinson of their good start.
Banchero already had 12 markers, while Harris had 10 in the first half as the veterans led the Fuel Masters to a 41-35 lead at the break. But it wasn’t until the third canto where they would break away for good.
Energetic on both ends of the floor, Camacho was able to give his side a 71-60 lead with a lay-up off a Matthew Wright dime with 5:37 to go.
Manganti made his presence felt at the start of the final frame, opening the period with back-to-back hits to make it an 87-74 count.
Three free throws of his then widened their lead to a game-high 14 points, 90-76, with 10:24 to go and there was no stopping them from then on.
“That’s really great for us knowing how hard Blackwater played, they kept the game close, they kept us grounded. And again guys are just happy to contribute and I’m just happy,” said Robinson of the victory.
Jaylen Bond led Blackwater with 18 points and 15 rebounds in the loss where the team lost JVee Casio to an apparent ankle injury late in the first half.
Richard Escoto supplied 16 points. Joshua Torralba had 14 points, while Rashawn McCarthy and Baser Amer chipped in 13 and 12 markers, respectively as the Bossings dropped to 0-2 in the conference.
The Scores:
Phoenix 110 – Banchero 23, Harris 19, Manganti 17, Camacho 10, Garcia 9, Wright 7, Rios 6, Perkins 5, Demusis 5, Chua 4, Jazul 4, Muyang 1.
Blackwater 99 – Bond 18, Escoto 16, Torralba 14, McCarthy 13, Amer 12, Ebona 9, Chauca 5, Casio 4, Daquioag 4, Cañaleta 2, Gabriel 2, Desiderio 0, McAloney 0.
Quarterscores: 28-18, 51-45, 83-74, 110-99.
