THE Blackwater Elite are pushovers no more—thanks primarily to the dynamic duo of Celedonio “Don” Trollano and Shej Roi Sumang.
“Before, the other teams consider us as ‘a bonus game,’ meaning they get a guaranteed win each time they play us,” Trollano told BusinessMirror from the Quest Hotel inside Philippine Basketball Association’s Clark bubble on Sunday.
“But now, we wanted to change that mindset. We’re going to fight and be more competitive. It’s time to change that mentality,” Trollano added.
Sumang agreed.
“In the previous seasons, Blackwater was always a bonus for the other teams. And we wanted to change that,” Sumang said. “Coach Nash [Racela] is also winner and he doesn’t like to lose.”
Blackwater’s two wins in three games were proof of that change in image for the Elite—from whipping boys to winning men in the bubble season.
Trollano, 28, has been averaging 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, while Sumang, also 28, piled up 14.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists in their first three games.
The Elite blasted Northport, 96-89, last Monday before giving Barangay Ginebra San Miguel a scare in a 99-103 loss. They bounced back huge against NLEX last Saturday with a 98-88 victory to give Racela a 2-1 win-loss record.
“It’s in the minds of my teammates to change our image,” said Trollano, who stayed in in his hometown in Calamba, Laguna, during the lockdown, keeping his skills to a luster by his lonesome in a makeshift court for almost seven months.
For Sumang, the unique season became a sort of a reunion with his batch of 2012 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)—he playing for University of the East, Trollano for Adamson University , Paul Desiderio for University of the Philippines, Ed Daquioag for University of Santo Tomas and Mac Belo and Mike Tolomia for Far Eastern University).
“Even our coach, Nash Racela, was also part of that batch which were all considered winners during that time. It’s only big brother KG who is not part of that batch,” said Sumang, referring to Niño “KG” Canaleta who played for UE in 2003.
The TNT KaTropa shipped Trollano to the Elite last season in a trade—with Anthony Semerad and a 2021 first round draft pick for Bobby Ray Parks Jr.—that eventually complemented Sumang and the other Elite’s fast-paced game.
Trollano was on Head Coach Yeng Guiao’s national team to the 2018 Asian Games had to sit out the tournament after the Indonesian organizers allowed National Basketball Association player Jordan Clarkson to play.
TNT Tropang Giga meanwhile, shoots for a commanding 4-0 record when it squares off with fellow undefeated Phoenix Super LPG at 4 p.m. on Monday in the Philippine Cup at the Angeles University Foundation gym in Pampanga.
Roger Pogoy, who booked a career-high 45 points in TNT’s 100-95 win over Alaska, is a doubtful starter for Monday with an ankle injury.
But the team still has Bobby Ray Parks Jr., who also made a career-high 40 points in their 112-101 rout of Terrafirma last Tuesday, and John Paul Erram, who recorded a personal best 27 points and 15 rebounds in a 107-88 win over San Miguel Beer last Friday, when they face the Fuel Masters.
Phoenix (2-0), which is looking forward to the return of the suspended Calvin Abueva, is coming off a 116-98 win over Meralco and 110-105 victory over Northport.
San Miguel Beer (1-2), down with a second key man when Terrence Romeo left the bubble for good over the weekend with a dislocated right shoulder, battles Terrafirma (0-2) at 6:45 p.m. June Mar Fajardo is out of the short season as he recovers from a leg injury.