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No upset here! Ginebra shakes off stubborn Blackwater

The Barangay Ginebra Kings had a tougher-than-expected victory over the Blackwater Elite, 89-82, Wednesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

With the win, Ginebra now has a 4-3 tally tied for the fifth to seventh spots alongside GlobalPort and Purefoods.

Michael Dunigan led Ginebra’s attack with 27 points and 17 rebounds while Greg Slaughter added 17 points and 14 rebounds.

LA Tenorio played off the bench once more with 17 points with two rebounds and two assists while Mark Caguioa chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.

After a slow start, Ginebra started heating up in the second quarter and built a double-digit lead in the third quarter. However, the Elite refused to bow down without a fight.

Led by Marcus Douthit who totaled 16 points and 14 rebounds in the game, the Elite brought the lead down to two points but Ginebra went on a 8-0 run led by Tenorio to close out the show.

Poy Erram and Bam Gamalinda added 11 points each for Blackwater while Rob Celiz added nine.

Getting some inspiration from KIA’s upset win earlier against Talk ‘N Text, Blackwater took a 25-20 lead over Ginebra after the first 12 minutes of action.

The Kings, however, woke up in the second as they built a 49-45 advantage. Ginebra banked on the strength of its frontline as Dunigan scored 19 first half points while Slaughter added 11.

Slaughter scored at will to start the third quarter as Ginebra built its first double-digit lead of the game at 55-45.

The Main Man: Dunigan outplayed Douthit in the game. Because of Blackwater’s limited rotation, all the Ginebra locals had to do was match the Elite’s output.

Honorable Mentions: Slaughter played like another import for Ginebra with 17 points and 14 rebounds. LA Tenorio added 15 points while Mark Caguioa chipped in 15.

Game Turning Point: The Elite got within a basket away in the fourth quarter after a Rob Celiz basket. With still 4:37 left in the game, Blackwater was only down 77-75. LA Tenorio spearheaded an 8-0 run to end the Elite’s upset bid

Stat of the Game: Ginebra used their superior frontline to stifle the Elite. The Kings outrebounded them 52-39 and in points in the paint 44-36.

Next Games:

Blackwater versus KIA on Feb. 28 in Tubod, Lanao Del Norte

Ginebra versus NLEX on March 11 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo

He Said It:

Ginebra coach Ato Agustin – Napaka-importante sa amin nito. Nag-improve kami sa standings. We needed this win badly talaga. We started bad. We started slow buti na lang nakabalik kami ng second half. I reminded them wag sila mag-relax.

The scores:

GINEBRA 89 - Dunigan 27, Tenorio 17, Slaughter 17, Caguioa 15, Yeo 7, Baracael 4, Aguilar 2, Pena 0, Monfort 0, Ababou 0, Ellis 0.

BLACKWATER 82 - Douthit 16, Erram 11, Gamalinda 11, Celiz 9, Heruela 8, Salvacion 8, Ballesteros 6, Canada 5, Faundo 3, Timberlake 3, Reyes 1, Laure 1, Acuna 0.

Quarter scores: 20-25, 49-45, 71-60, 89-82.