Blackwater obtains first win of season after DiGregorio performs vs Rain or Shine

“Final: 111 – 99 in favor of the Blackwater Elite!
Best Players: Mike DiGregorio with 27 points and Allein Maliksi with 23 points #PBALabanKungLaban” (Photo: PBA/Facebook)

Michael DiGregorio and Allein Maliksi were heralded as the leaders of the game after hitting threes that ignited their third-quarter run that extended until the end of the game, redeeming their team from being down during halftime. DiGregorio was the highest pointer responsible for his team’s first win of the season with 27 points and 7-of-10 behind the arc, while Maliksi contributed 23 points and seven rebounds. Chris Javier also had a double-double at 16 points and 13 rebounds. For Rain or Shine, James Yap provided 20 points, while teammate Maverick Ahanmisi contributed 18, but it was not enough to give the Elastopainters another win.

According to highest-pointer of the game DiGregorio, the secret to their team was “the bond,” stating, “We got to know each other and we developed chemistry.” Other Best Player of the Game awardee Maliksi added, “”I’m thankful to my teammates because they trust me as a leader. Our coaches have sacrificed a lot to help us improve and thankfully it resulted to a win.”

Blackwater head coach Bong Ramos was pleased with the results of his team development, saying in Filipino, “What is nice about us is that in the first game, we had no character. In the second game, we had character – we were losing by a lot, but we returned.”

The next time the Elite will have an opportunity to obtain another win is against the undefeated Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters on February 1 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, while previous opponents Rain or Shine will face the San Miguel Beermen on the same day.