Since being appointed as Blackwater’s interim coach, Pat Aquino has given Sedrick Barefield all the green light he needed to shine.
On Wednesday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, that trust finally paid off with a 126-120 win over San Miguel Beer in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Barefield led all locals in the scoring column with 29 points to help the Bossing improve to a 2-6 card and more importantly, give Aquino his first dub as Blackwater’s tactician.
‘Coach Pat gives me the ultimate confidence but at the same time, he tells me how to be smart or when I need to be doing something better,’ said Barefield, who also had eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal.
‘I wasn’t necessarily shooting the ball well so it means a lot to me that he believed in me.’
Barefield struggled a bit, going 11-for-23 from the field, but import Robert Upshaw III was present to make up for it with a double-double of 35 points and 17 rebounds.
In three games under Aquino’s tutelage, Barefield wreaked havoc on offense with averages of 22.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per outing.
‘His message was to believe, be confident and we kept fighting,’ Barefield said.
Aquino looks to see Barefield flourish even more under his system on Friday when the Bossing take on Barangay Ginebra at Araneta Coliseum.