By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
With a sense of urgency and a desire to avenge their fallen fellow Ilonggo teams on the first day of the UNIGAMES Men’s basketball, the Iloilo Doctor’s College crushed the University of Saint La Salle-Bacolod, 69-55.
USLS started the game by controlling the pace, consistently implementing full-court pressure to make it hard for IDC’s backcourt to set plays.
Halfway into the first canto, IDC began to make adjustments, sending in their quick guards for a faster pace with the ball. The move paid off as they eventually controlled the paint and pounded it hard inside.
With IDC’s presence established in the paint, the USLS defense shattered causing numerous missed assignments allowing IDC’s players easy looks on backdoor cuts and pick-and-pop plays.
The half ended with USLS still within striking distance, 22-28, but headed to their dugout with slumped shoulders.
As the second half began, USLS again went to their pressure defense but this time IDC was ready. IDC adjusted their player rotation on the court to break the press and continued their post-play to demoralize USLS underneath.
USLS tried to mount a valiant comeback in the fourth after going on a 10-2 run but IDC’s interior artillery was just too much as they scored easy baskets in the paint to seal the victory.
In other games, the University of San Agustin was nipped by the Technological University of the Philippines, 72-68, Central Philippine University lost by only a point to an imposing Enderun College team, 77-76.
