Walker rises for 35 as Blackwater surprises San Miguel

Henry Walker had 35 points, 17 rebounds, seven steals, and five assists in 43 minutes on the floor as the Blackwater Elite surprised the San Miguel Beermen with a 103-100 win on Wednesday in the elimination round of the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup.

The resilient Elite kept in step with the high-powered Beermen, erasing an eight-point lead in the fourth to earn their second straight victory in as many outings. San Miguel, meanwhile, dropped to 1-1.

Mike Digregorio tallied 21, while Nard Pinto rounded up the starters in double figures with 15. Poy Erram and Paul Zamar, meanwhile, combined for 18 off the bench.

A 9-3 run midway through the fourth gave the Elite a six-point lead after a Henry Walker triple, 98-92, before Marcio Lassiter connected on twin triples to keep the Beermen in the game.

Off a timeout, Nard Pinto found Poy Erram for a chance to stretch the lead, but the big man was fouled by Christian Standhardinger for a trip to the line. Erram sank two charities with 19 seconds remaining, giving Blackwater a 103-100 lead.

Off their timeout, San Miguel went to AZ Reid for the equalizer with eight seconds to go, but the import failed to find his mark.

Alex Cabagnot secured the offensive rebounds for another shot, but Reid again missed at the buzzer, giving Blackwater the victory.

AZ Reid finished the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Christian Stanhardinger added 20 points. Marcio Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot conspired for 25 points, while Kelly Nabong added 12 as a reserve.