Hotshots stay hot, down Bossing

Sports

NOT even a long two-month hiatus could cool off the Magnolia Hotshots as they pocketed their fourth straight win with a 107-101 tripping of the Blackwater Bossing in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Friday night, Oct. 9, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

By staying hot, the Hotshots seized solo leadership in Group B with five wins and three losses.

Import KJ Buffen collected 24 points and 20 rebounds to lead the victory that brightened the Hotshots’ bid to advance to the quarterfinal round.

Carlo Lastimosa also gave Magnolia a huge lift with the speedy guard tallying 24 points and seven assists. Xavier Lucero added 17 points in the victory.

The Bossing dropped to 3-4 (win-loss)--still good for fourth place in Group. Blackwater, however, is hard-pressed to win its last three games with the Meralco Bolts (3-5) and Barangay Ginebra (3-4) closely trailing them.

Sedrick Barefield topped the Bossing with 24 points while Kentrell Barkley tossed in 20 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.

Mike DiGregorio added 15 points and RK Ilagan had 13 for Blackwater.

THE SCORES:

MAGNOLIA (107) – Buffen 24, Lastimosa 24, Lucero 17, Koon 9, Andrada 9, Sangalang 7, Gomez de Liano 7, Barroca 6, Dela Rosa 4, Laput 0, Alfaro 0.

BLACKWATER (101) – Barefield 24, Barkley 20, DiGregorio 15, Ilagan 13, Panopio 9, Demusis 8, Una 6, Cruz-Dumont 2, Murrell 2, Tratter 2, Escoto 0, David 0, Mendoza 0, Austria 0.QUARTERSCORES: 23-25; 53-50; 84-75; 107-101.(CCM)