Elite pull thru in clutch, halt Road Warriors

MANILA, Philippines - Blackwater Sports came through with a couple of big plays on both ends in the clutch as it stunned fancied NLEX, 70-67, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig yesterday as the Elite moved within a win from nailing their first PBA D-League crown and breaking the Road Warriors’ domination of the league.

Kevin Ferrer scored on a feed by Robby Celiz for the go-ahead basket with 14.4 seconds remaining while Pari Llagas made a crucial steal in the ensuing play to help push the Elite closer to the Foundation Cup crown.

“The key was convincing my players that we have the ability to beat NLEX and we proved in this game today (yesterday) that it can be done,” said Blackwater coach Leo Isaac, who rallied the Dioceldo Sy-owned team to deficits of as many as 14 points in the early going.

Blackwater tries to wrap it up all in Game Two of their best-of-three series on Tuesday with the deciding Game Three, if necessary, slated next Thursday.

Justin Chua, who played his last season with five-peat UAAP champion Ateneo, poured 12 of his 17 points in the second half while Allan Mangahas, who played college ball for Mapua, had 16 points, including two free throws that iced the victory.

But it was the troika of Ferrer, Celiz and Llagas who made the biggest plays in the end.

While Blackwater relished its first finals win, NLEX suffered its first ever setback in the championship after going eight games without a loss with a couple of wins each over Cebuana Lhuillier, Freego, Big Chill and Cagayan, respectively, to sweep the league’s first four conferences.

The Elite also snapped the Warriors’ 11 win-run in the conference, including a two-game sweep of the Big Chill Superchargers in the Final Four, after dropping their first two games in the elims.

NLEX went off to a roaring start, leading by as many as 14 points before sitting on a 38-29 cushion at the turn.

But Blackwater went on attack mode at resumption, outscoring the defending champions, 27-14, to go into the final quarter with a 56-52 edge.

The Elite held sway and thwarted every NLEX attack for a 66-61 lead but Ronald Pascual buried a pair of triples to put the Warriors back on top at 67-66 with a little over two minutes to go in the contest.