Magnolia Regains Its Groove, Fends Off Blackwater Scare

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by Lou Reyes

Magnolia guard/forward Javi Gomez de Liano (2).
Magnolia guard/forward Javi Gomez de Liano (2). Photo: PBA Images.

Magnolia finally steadied the ship on Friday night, shaking off a sluggish start and turning back Blackwater, 90–75, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to climb back into the win column of the Philippine Cup.

The Hotshots looked out of sync early, falling behind by 12 at 36–24 as Blackwater’s energy and pace dictated the first half. But Magnolia, a team built on discipline and depth, eventually reminded everyone why it remains among the most dangerous squads this conference.

The turning point came in the third quarter, when the Hotshots uncorked a massive 15–0 surge that completely flipped the momentum. In a span of five minutes, Magnolia went from chasing to controlling the game. Javi Gomez de Liano spearheaded the charge, firing 10 of his game-high 17 during that explosive stretch.

Ian Sangalang delivered his usual steady interior presence with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Zavier Lucero submitted another workmanlike double-double of 13 and 10. Magnolia, still stinging from its narrow 94–92 loss to San Miguel, responded exactly the way a playoff-caliber squad should—by tightening the screws when it mattered most.

Magnolia's Javi Gomez de Liano shoots over Blackwater defenders.
Magnolia's Javi Gomez de Liano (2) shoots over Blackwater defenders. Photo: PBA Images.

The victory pushed Magnolia to 5–2, creating a crowded four-way tie for second with San Miguel, NLEX, and Rain or Shine. But despite the win, Coach LA Tenorio wasn’t entirely pleased with how his team opened the game.

“We can’t start like this all the time. Hindi puwedeng lagi kaming naghahabol,” Tenorio said, pointing out that Magnolia has now had back-to-back games where it needed to climb out of an early hole. “Both of our last two games, we started flat.”

Luckily for Magnolia, its bench came in breathing fire. Raffy Verano provided a massive spark with 12 points, including two clean triples, and keyed a 14–1 Magnolia blitz early in the fourth that stretched the lead to 84–61—their largest of the night. From there, the Hotshots kept full control and never allowed Blackwater to mount any meaningful rally.

The Bossing, meanwhile, absorbed their fifth straight defeat to drop to 1–6. Sedrick Barefield poured in 16 but was limited to just four points after halftime. Rookie Dalph Panopio chipped in 14, most of them in the final period, while Richard Escoto added 12.

Magnolia wasn’t perfect, but when the game demanded toughness, the Hotshots showed exactly why they’re staying near the top of the standings.

The Scores: 

Magnolia 90 - Gomez de Liano 17, Sangalang 16, Lucero 13, Verano 12, Lastimosa 10, Barroca 7, Eriobu 5, Lee 4, Dela Rosa 3, Taha 2, Alfaro 1, Koon 0.

Blackwater 75 - Barefield 16, Panopio 14, Escoto 12, Dumont 9, Andrade 6, Tratter 5, David 5, Mendoza 4, Zamar 2, Una 2, Murrell 0, Mallillin 0, Jopia 0.

Quarterscores: 18-15, 34-41, 64-55, 90-75