Second half run helps Purefoods drub Blackwater

By Josh Castro

Purefoods used a second half rally to keep Blackwater winless in the PBA Commissioner's Cup with a 98-86 win at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Hotshots pulled away for good from the Elites late in the third quarter as they built a double-digit advantage, 74-63, at the end of the period and eventually extended the lead to as much as 17 in the fourth.

Purefoods' Governors' Cup import Marqus Blakely continued to make impressions in the Commissioner's Cup as he led the team with 23 points. Four locals led by Marc Pingris also scored in double figures for Purefoods, which moved up to 3-0.

Marcus Douthit tallied a game-high 30 points for Blackwater, which has yet to win in its rookie PBA season.

Box Scores:

Purefoods 98-Blakely 23, Pingris 14, Barroca 13, Melton 12, Maliksi 12, Yap 9, Devance 7, Mallari 4, Taha 2, Reavis 2, Simon 0, Alvarez 0, Gaco 0, Allado 0, Pennisi 0

Blackwater 86-Douthit 30, Faundo 14, Heruela 10, Gamalinda 9, Laure 6, Canada 5, Acuna 5, Bulawan 4, Celiz 3, Timberlake 0, Reyes 0, Nuyles 0, Erram 0, Ballesteros 0, Austria 0

Quarterscores: 23-23, 52-44, 74-63, 98-86