NLEX shook off a shaky start and roared back with a dominant middle stretch to overpower Blackwater, 101-84, and clinch the 40th Kadayawan Invitational basketball championship Sunday night in Davao City.
The Road Warriors trailed early but flipped the game in the second quarter, erupting for a 34-12 run behind Robert Bolick, Dominic Fajardo, Tony Semerad, and Xyrus Torres. That surge turned an 11-point deficit into a commanding 52-36 halftime lead before a packed crowd at the University of Southeastern Philippines.
Blackwater tried to claw back, trimming the gap to 76-65 in the fourth quarter, but NLEX quickly shut the door with a 12-5 blast that restored a 17-point cushion entering the final minutes.
Torres led NLEX with 19 points, while Semerad delivered a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds to earn Finals MVP honors. Both sharpshooters buried four triples apiece, powering the Road Warriors to an impressive 18-of-34 shooting clip from long range.
Guided by deputy coach Adonis Tierra in their last two games, NLEX became the second straight PBA squad to capture the annual Davao cagefest after Rain or Shine’s sweep last year. The Road Warriors wrapped up the tournament with a 3-1 record, their lone setback coming against the Bossing in the preliminaries, 95-90.
The title serves as a timely morale booster for NLEX as it gears up for the milestone 50th PBA season tipping off on October 5.
For Blackwater, Sedric Barefield scored 15 while Richard Escoto added 14 in the runner-up finish.
In the battle for third place, Phoenix avoided a winless campaign by crushing Converge, 101-81. Raffy Verano led with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Tyler Tio and Kai Ballungay chipped in 17 and 15. The victory marked the first for new head coach Willy Wilson since taking over in the off-season, echoing last year’s third-place win by the Fuel Masters over the FiberXers in the same tournament.