Alaska routs Blackwater by 26 points to open PBA Season 46

The Alaska Aces made a triumphant return to the court as they blew out the Blackwater Bossing, 103-77, to open up festivities on the opening day of the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup on Friday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.

Mike Digregorio scored 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from three to lead Alaska. He scored 17 of those points in a dominant second half that saw the Aces break away.

Yousef Taha added 16 points and seven rebounds while Abu Tratter chipped in with 13 points and six boards.

The game was close in the first half, thanks in large part to Blackwater's Simon Enciso, who kept his team in the game.

Enciso hit three three-pointers in the opening period and followed that up with 10 points in the second quarter to put his total up to 19 points at the end of just two quarters.

The teams were tied 39-apiece at the break.

It was all Alaska in the third period, though, as the Aces opened up with six unanswered points to surge into the lead. After some back and forth, Digregorio hit a three-pointer to spark a 15-2 Alaska run that gave them a lead of 17 points, 65-48. Digregorio scored seven of the Aces’ points in that stretch.

A late basket from Enciso cut Blackwater’s deficit down to 14, 71-57, entering the final period.

The Bossing rallied early in the fourth behind Mike Tolomia, who scored 11 of the team’s first 13 points as they charged back to within six, 76-70.

But the Aces doused that rally thanks to back-to-back threes from Digregorio and Jvee Casio that made it a double-digit lead, 82-70, once again.

Digregorio and rookie RK Ilagan would later close it out strong for the Aces, who went on a 19-2 run to finish the game.

Blackwater was led by Enciso, who finished with a game-high 23 points, and Tolomia, who added 15 markers

—JMB, GMA News