Undermanned Alaska holds off Blackwater for 4th straight win

MANILA, Philippines — Alaska bucked a shortage in firepower and kept Blackwater at bay, 88-84, for their fourth win in the PBA Philippine Cup, Saturday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Neck-and-neck in the final six minutes of the game, Alaska freshman Jeron Teng took matters into his own hands, draining a triple to give the Aces an 86-80 lead.

The Elite tried to pull the rug on their foes but the Aces’ composure—which was dealt with a big gut punch with the absence of Calvin Abueva—still proved to be rock solid.

“I’m very relieved. I think obviously it helped us that [Blackwater] missed a bunch of free throws. It seemed like in the second half, they really missed a bunch and in a close game, that matters,” Alaska mentor Alex Compton said.

"I'm just really glad we closed this one out, Blackwater is really tough,” he added. "Coach Leo Isaac and his staff are doing such a great job. Pang ilan na taon na nila? Fourth year? It really feels like I'm watching how Rain or Shine was built.”

Abueva asked to be excused minutes before the game due to a "family emergency."

The victory is Alaska’s fourth straight since opening the Philippine Cup campaign with back-to-back losses. Blackwater, on the other hand, slides to 2-4 in the conference.

The Scores:

Alaska (88): Banchero 16, Manuel 16, Racal 14, Teng 10, Casio 7, Enciso 6, Cruz 5, Baclao 4, Thoss 3, Pascual 3, Magat 2, Exciminiano 2, Potts 0

Blackwater (84): Digregorio 15, Belo 15, Erram 14, Sumang 10, Maliksi 10, Jose 8, Cortez 5, Sena 5, Cruz 2, Marcelo 0, Javier 0, Pinto 0

Quarter scores: 20-16, 43-35, 67-61, 88-84