Abueva, Menk lift Alaska past Blackwater

MANILA, Philippines -- Calvin Abueva kept on putting up a topnotch performance and Eric Menk ably filled in for the injury-hit Sonny Thoss as Alaska Milk rolled past Blackwater, 69-56, for an early quarterfinals passage in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

Abueva, one of only five players averaging double-double numbers in the tourney, sustained his rampage, collecting 18 rebounds and 13 points while Menk put in his own double-double numbers with 14 markers and 13 caroms as Alaska stayed perfect halfway through the one-round-robin eliminations.

The Aces improved to 6-0 while the Elite stayed in the hunt for an elusive first win in the pros, reeling with a sixth straight loss

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine, winning four of its last five games, seeks to sustain its hot charge, going for solo fourth place in tangling with Meralco at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Davao City stop of the Petron Blaze PBA on Tour.

The Elasto Painters are favored against the Meralco team which they beat six in seven matches last season.

“We’re happy with the start, but we still have a long way to go. It’s how you finish. That’s really what’s important,” said Alaska coach Alex Compton, wary the other teams would figure out how to stop them later on.

“Like every team in the league, we have things to improve on. Our best weapon at the moment is our defense,” Compton also said.

With their tremendous pressing defense, the Aces limited the Elite to a 30-percent field shooting and a season second-lowest output of 56 points.

Struggling on offense, the Aces nearly squandered a 17-point spread with the Elite threatening at 44-49.

But they Aces responded quickly, again tightening up on defense and again posting a commanding spread at 65-44.

From the 49-44 count with eight minutes to go, Alaska held Blackwater to a single field goal basket in the next six minutes of the contest.

RJ Jazul rifled in a booming trey then Chris Exciminiano came up with a three-point play off a steal, sparking Alaska’s fourth-quarter pull-away.

Larry Rodriguez, with 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting, was the lone Blackwater player to log a double-digit output.

JP Erram and Ogie Menor added nine points each for the Elite who narrowly avoided matching the season low of 55 that belonged to Kia in a 22-point blowout by Barangay Ginebra.

Even minus Thoss who’s nursing a heel injury, the Aces outrebounded the Elite, 62-51, and blasted Blackwater, 36-16, on points in the paint.