MANILA, Philippines – Blackwater routed Malaysia, 94-52, to capture the 2016 Penang Chief Minister Cup International Basketball Invitational crown at the Han Chiang Indoor Stadium last Tuesday in Penang, Malaysia.
The Elite poured it all out in the second half, scoring in bunches while shackling the Dragons with their suffocating defense, holding the newly crowned ABL champions to just three field goals in a nine-minute stretch.
They took a 65-37 spread in the third and the Dioceldo Sy-owned PBA squad went on to complete the five-game sweep and bag the P120,000 top prize.
The Penang feat thus ended Blackwater’s back-to-back runner-up finishes in Malaysia.
Blackwater bowed to the Malaysian national squad during the 2014 Penang Chief Minister Cup then placed second again in the Seri Mutiara Champions Cup last year in Kuala Lumpur.
Gilbert Bulawan led the Elite with 13 points, while Reil Cervantes and Carlo Lastimosa added 12 markers apiece. Big man JP Erram chipped in 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Blackwater, meanwhile, will be reinforced by American import Eric Dawson and Palestine national player Imad Qahwash in the PBA third conference.