By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Team Dois Seafood/Its RELX Iloilo continued its stellar run in the ongoing Iloilo City Basketball Club (ICBC) playoffs after sweeping team Vtrain Vape and arranged a highly-anticipated championship series with team QL Mortgage, to be held at the Monterosa Subdivision basketball gym, Mandurriao, Iloilo City, today.
Despite facing a squad carrying a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals, team Dois showed they can still step on the gas pedal to complete the 2-0 sweep.
Dois ended their semis clash against Vtrain in style after dominating them in Game 2, 86-64, behind consistent performances from the duo of Rush Rubin and Joshua Mana-ay.
Rubin led the team in scoring for the second-straight time and dropped 22 big points on Vtrain in the crucial do-or-die match.
Meanwhile, his backcourt partner, Mana-ay, contributed 14 markers and continued his streak of double-digit scoring in the semifinals.
It was a close game in the first five sets as Vtrain went toe-to-toe against Dois’ firepower which was enough to keep them close in the game.
However, once the sixth set began, team Dois suddenly went unconscious from the field and ballooned the lead up to 20 points.
Aside from their scoring in the sixth, team Dois’ pressure defense also hurt Vtrain which caused them several turnovers turned into easy points.
Vtrain tried to fight back in the seventh and last set of the match with hopes of turning the game around but team Dois protected their lead up to the final buzzer to march into the finals.
Dois will be squaring off against the no. 1 team in the league, team QL Mortgage, in an expected intense three-game championship series.
