Blackwater found an immediate spark in the familiar connection between Sedrick Barefield and import Robert Upshaw, and it paid off in a big way Sunday.
Their chemistry was hardly accidental.
Barefield revealed that his relationship with Upshaw stretches back years, long before they joined forces with the Bossing. Upshaw once played under Barefield’s father, Ray Barefield, when both were still coming up in the game.
“Rob played for my dad when I was a kid. I was with the younger team. He was with the older team,” Barefield said.
Ray Barefield, a former San Diego State point guard, now heads the boys’ basketball program at Rancho Christian School.
Still, Barefield said their bond did not truly grow until they became teammates with the Tainan TSG GhostHawks in Taiwan’s T1 League.
“But we weren’t close until I played in Taiwan a few years ago when we’re on the same team. And I got to know him,” said Barefield, the No. 2 overall pick in the Season 49 Draft and a fellow California native like Upshaw.
That long-standing familiarity was on full display as Barefield and Upshaw powered Blackwater to a 97-91 victory over Magnolia in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, handing the Bossing their first win of the conference.
Barefield erupted for 26 points, knocking down six triples and pouring in 22 of those markers in the second half. Upshaw, meanwhile, imposed his will all game long, finishing with a team-best 35 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks.
The 7-foot import also delivered from long range, sinking three shots from the four-point area. His final bomb all but sealed the outcome, stretching Blackwater’s lead to 91-84 with just 58 seconds left.
“Rob had a big game for us. And he was drawing so much attention,” Barefield said of the 32-year-old reinforcement, who came in as Daniel Ochefu’s replacement.
“And the fact that he got going when we start to run the pick and roll, they (Hotshots) just had a hard time figuring out what to do.”
For Blackwater, it was more than just a strong debut pairing. It was proof that trust built over time can become a deadly weapon when the game tightens.
“So I think that helped chemistry-wise down the stretch,” added the 29-year-old guard, who scored 16 of his points in the pivotal fourth quarter.