Kia's Senegalese center Hamady N'Diaye goes for an undergoal stab after eluding Blackwater import Marqus Douthit in Tuesday night's PBA Governors' Cup game at the Cuneta Astrodome. Jay R. Gotera Saudi Gazette
MANILA — The suprising Kia Carnival recorded its first back-to-back victory in the PBA Governors Cup, outlasting fellow expansion club Blackwater Elite, 83-76, in double overtime Tuesday night. It was Kia's third win in four games as the underrated team of mostly unknown players found itself among the leaders in the conference in a tie with idle Alaska and Talk N Text at second to fourth place in the standings and just behind the still undefeated Barako Bull (4-0), another lowly ranked team making waves in the conference. Kia relied heavily on its two imports to secure the victory. Taiwanese Jet Chang led the Carnival with a personal conference-high 25 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter. The 26-year-old 6'4” guard also had six rebounds and four assists. Senegalese import Hamady N'Diaye also played a huge role in Kia's victory as the lanky 6'11” center dominated the paint and had a near triple double of 16 points, 23 rebounds, and nine blocks. LA Revilla added 10 points for the Carnival. Both teams both had miserable shooting night, but Kia's 70-57 rebounding advantage proved to be the deciding factor in the game. Kia and Blackwater engaged in a closely fought contest all night long with multiple lead changes. The Carnival erected a 15-point lead in the first half, but the Elite struck back, equalized and then posted an eight-point lead in the third quarter. Chang rallied the Carnival in the fourth and appeared on his way to score game-winner when he drove to the lane with five seconds left only to be stripped of the ball by his Blackwater defender, Brian Heruela. The streaky Blackwater guard also had a chance to score the game-winner but missed his shot as regulation period ended in a 72-all deadlock. Both squads misfired numerous times in the first five-minute extension, scoring only two points each, as the extra period ended in a 74-all tie. N'Diaye took over in the second overtime, scoring the first basket followed by a dunk to put Kia up, 79-76. Karl Dehesa then put the icing on the Kia victory cake with two free throws and then an open fastbreak layup as the final buzzer sounded. Heruela led Blackwater with 19 points, while import Marcus Douthit finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks. Reil Cervantes chipped in with 13 markers. Blackwater suffered its fourth loss in five games and fell to a familiar position – the bottom of the standings. Talk N Text 108, NLEX 89 The Talk N Text Tropang Texters nailed their third win in the conference after four games, handily beating sister team NLEX Road Warriors, 108-89. The Texters thus firmed up their hold on one of the top four positions in the standings. The loss sent the Road Warriors to their fourth loss in five games, joining Blackwater at the cellar. The game marked the return of TNT top gunner Jayson Castro who scored a team-high 19 points while grabbing five rebounds and issuing five assists. Games Wednesday: Barako Bull Energy vs. San Miguel Beermen; and Star Hotshots vs. Alaska Aces.
