Across Poy Erram’s name on the statistical sheet was a string of excellent numbers: 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting along with a conference-high 21 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a game-high five blocks.
Unfortunately, all of his efforts were in vain. He and the Blackwater Elite absorbed their third straight defeat, as their fightback fell short against Chris Banchero and the streaking Alaska Aces, 88-84, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Happy ako sa ginawa ko,” shared the 6-foot-8 big man.
“Pero para saan pa yung stats kung talo kayo, ‘di ba?”
Free throws were clearly the problem for the Elite in their loss to the Aces, as they shot just 8-for-15 in the contest, including a dismal 3-of-10 shooting in the final frame where they missed a whopping seven straight.
For Erram, however, the setback was caused not just by freebies alone.
“Aside from the misses free throws… Tumitira kami sa ‘di namin spot; yung mga player na usually ‘di naman dumadrive, dumadrive,” said the fifth-year pro, as Blackwater shot just 37.4 percent from the floor.
Despite all the issues, the Ateneo de Manila product still saw some positives in the loss.
“Ang positive naman din sa ginawa namin, kahit ganoon, lumaban pa rin kami, hindi kami nagpatambak ng sobra,” said Erram, who helped the Elite climb back from 14 down to just a point, 80-81, late in the final frame.
“Kahit papaano yung defense namin, okay pa rin, natalo lang kami sa fastbreak at sa turnover,” he added, as Blackwater allowed Alaska to score eight fastbreak points, while they turned the ball over 16 times.
