Blackwater looks to come out of the Kadayawan Invitational Basketball Tournament unscathed and with the championship trophy. But the NLEX side led by Robert Bolick is standing on its way.
The stage is set for a thrilling finale as the Blackwater Bossing put their unbeaten run on the line against the surging NLEX Road Warriors in the Kadayawan Invitational Basketball Tournament Finals on Sunday, August 24.
Gametime is at 7:00 p.m. at the USEP Gymnasium in Davao City.
Blackwater punched its ticket to the championship game with a hard-fought 93-91 victory over Converge, keeping its immaculate record intact.
[RELATED STORY: Blackwater survives Converge, marches on to Kadayawan Finals after elims sweep]
Sedrick Barefield delivered in crunch time, sinking three of six free throws that secured the Bossing’s Finals seat. Though Barefield missed his last attempt in the dying seconds, Converge failed to get off a clean shot as time expired, preserving Blackwater’s spotless slate.
On the other side, NLEX is riding momentum after outlasting Phoenix in a nail-biter, 100-96.
[ALSO READ: RK Ilagan shines in clutch as Blackwater stays unscathed in Kadayawan]
While Robert Bolick proved steady all game long, rising star Jonnel Policarpio took over late, scoring from the stripe and steadying the Road Warriors in the clutch.
His final free throw gave NLEX a 99-96 edge before Ricci Rivero misfired from deep, allowing Xyrus Torres to ice the game with one last free throw.
The Finals also mark a rematch of the tournament’s earlier clash, where RK Ilagan shone for Blackwater in a 95-90 win over NLEX. Ilagan scored five crucial points in the final three minutes, including a clutch looper with 36 seconds left to put the Bossing ahead for good.
With Blackwater aiming to complete a perfect run and NLEX hungry for payback, expect a fiery showdown where every possession will matter. The Kadayawan crown will go to the team that shows the poise and grit to finish strong under the bright lights of Davao.
[ALSO READ: NLEX fends off Phoenix arrange Kadayawan Finals vs Blackwater]
(With reports from Jan Ballesteros)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]