The Blackwater Bossing are building strong momentum ahead of PBA 50, punching a ticket to the Kadayawan Invitational Basketball Tournament in Davao City.
Blackwater nearly blew a double-digit lead but hung tough for a pulsating 93-91 win over Converge in the Kadayawan Invitational Basketball Tournament Saturday, Aug. 23.
Sedrick Barefield still came through in the clutch, canning three of six free throws that gave the Bossing the immaculate 3-0 record and the first Finals berth.
The finale is set on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the USEP Gymnasium in Davao City.
Nerves seemingly got to Barefield, who missed his second free throw with 2.3 ticks left to leave the door slightly open.
Justine Baltazar grabbed the rebound off the botched shot, but the FiberXers didn’t have enough space and time to heave from way beyond the arc.
Converge’s hopes for a shot at the championship hangs in the balance with a 1-2 card.
The Bossing sustained momentum from a late third-quarter surge and even led by as many as 13 points on RK Ilagan’s defensive stop that led to a breakaway layup, 81-68, at the 8:53 mark of the fourth period.
But that lead soon vanished when the twin towers of Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana went to work down low for the FiberXers.
It was Alec Stockton, however, who tied the game, 87-all, with a booming triple with 2:14 remaining.
Just as clutch was Barefield, who responded with a three of his own to regain the lead.
Stockton refuses to bow out of the duel, sinking a baseline jumper off a curl before misfiring from the three twice in the next possessions.
His last miss from that range was cleaned up by Racal, whose pump fake had Barefield suspended alone in mid-air before the Converge vet converted an easy two, 91-92, 3.7 to go.
The FiberXers’ rally ended then as Barefield seled the victory from the foul line.