Game Analysis Vs. CSB (JUNE 22)

The game is NEVER over until the clock is at 0.00. 

Rome DelaRosa and Art DelaCruz save the day as we edge gritty CSB, 71-70 on opening day.

SBC Boxscore: DelaCruz 16, Koga 13, Adeogun 11, dela Rosa 10, Amer 4, Mendoza 4, DJSemerad 4, Abarcar 3, A. Semerad 2, Pascual 2, Ludovice 2

Quarterscores: SBC 22/16/19/14; CSB 12/16/20/23

Over the years we have always had trouble when we play CSB. But we always came out on top. 

We start the first with a 10- run as all the starters save for Kyle Pascual scored. Kyle, though, gave Paolo Romero a big facial to protect the interior. Romero put up two on the board for CSB at the 5:13 mark. Art dela Cruz and Ryusei Koga score SBC’s next points but CSB comes alive through Ongteco, Jose Saavedra and Paolo Romero, 16-10. Adeogun split charities, an Amer floater and a Rome dela Rosa fastbreak answer a Luis Sinco fastbreak 2 and we end the first, 22-12. 

CSB fires a 3 to open the second but we counter with two charities from Yvan Ludovice, an Anthony Semerad jumper and a highlight alley-oop play by Ludovice to Ola down low, 28-15. Bartolo and Taha score on consecutive plays, 28-19. JP Mendoza next scores at point blank range on a dela Cruz bullet pass, Kyle scores on a follow up, and dela Rosa sinks two charities to up the score , 34-19. CSB answers back with a Saavedra 3 and a Romero layup off Ola, 34-24. Adeogun makes up for the defensive lapse with a midrange jumper, 36-24. Romero scores on a fastbreak but Rome cuts their celebration short by getting the points back mere seconds later with a fastbreak drive off a long inbound, 38-26. Saavedra closses out the half with a bucket off an SBC turnover, 38-28. 

Gang rebounding helped us in the first half as we won the battle off the boards 29-18 and had a big gap off the offensive glass, 13-7. That helped our field goal percentage, 46% vs. 36% for the Blazers. It also helped that we were able to complete plays off good passes; the 10-5 assist stat showed this. 

Romero and Taha open up the third but Koga scores off a broken play off a fastbreak, 40-32. A dela Cruz jumper, follow up and charities counter an Ongteco 2, 46-34. Kyle Pascual gets his second and third blocks off favorite customer Romero and Saavedra. CSB, however, goes on a 6-0 run to come closer, 46-40. Ola scores again on free throws and a mid-range jumper at 2:57 but gets his third foul seconds later, forcing him back to the bench for DJSemerad. Ongteco and Romero bring CSB closer again, 50-46. DJSemerad scores on a point blank bucket off a Koga assist, and Utoy Abarcar brought further separation with a corner three pointer, 55-46. Ongteco and dela Rosa trade baskets to end the third, 57-48. The Blazers were attacking the basket now; Paolo Romero had 16 points by this time to lead CSB.

DJ Semerad opens the fourth with twin charities on an unsportsmanlike foul, 59-48. JP Mendoza scores next on a follow-up 2, 61-48. Taha then scores five points on successive plays as they keep attacking the heart of the defense, 61-53 Ryusei Koga scores on a baseline reverse off a baser Amer steal, 63-53. Kyle gets his fourth block off Romero but CSB makes a big run anchored on fastbreaks from Taha and incursions by center Bartolo to come closer at 63-61. Art delaCruz and Baser Amer come to the rescue to score, 67-61 but Bartolo scores on an and-1 play, 67-64. Ola splits his charities on the next play but Paolo Romero sinks a big three to bring them even closer, 68-67. Amer splits his free throws next, but Jose Saavedra puts CSB into the driver’s seat for the first time with a huge three pointer, 69-70. with 4.3 seconds left, and the CSB gallery giddy with thoughts of an impending victory.

And then the roof caved in on them. 

Veterans Rome dela Rosa as the inbounder and Art delaCruz as the receiver conspired to make a great alley-oop inbound play that totally brought the house down and giving San Beda a great escape act. CSB botched a hurried play as time expired, with us snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, 71-70.

Time to celebrate our first victory in our campaign. Lots of heroes in this game. Not a perfect game, but I’ll take this for openers. We’ll get better as the season goes on. Count on it.

But the toughness is already there.

Thank you to Sir Mon Latorre