GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
ADVERTISEMENT
Filtered By: Sports
Sports
FilOil: Wildcats avoid going home winless, maul Maroons
Delmar Mahaling (23) of Holy Trinity College and Dave Moralde (8) of UP battle for possession of the ball. KC Cruz
Showbiz star Gerald Anderson did not suit up as rumored, but the Holy Trinity College Wildcats didn't appear to need him at all.
The Wildcats went home with a win as they destroyed the UP Fighting Maroons, 94-85, on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Eds Batiller paced his team with 21 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, leading five other Wildcats who scored in double digits. Meylan Landicho posted 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Aldrin Yusop added 14 points and three assists.
Kevin Pragados added 12 points and three rebounds while Dave Masaglang chimed in with 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. All players who played for HTC each scored at least two points. The Wildcats also had 16 second-chance points and 19 points off turnovers.
Kevin Pragados added 12 points and three rebounds while Dave Masaglang chimed in with 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists. All players who played for HTC each scored at least two points. The Wildcats also had 16 second-chance points and 19 points off turnovers.
HTC head coach Pol Torrijos steered the 0-5 Wildcats to a win by surgically dismantling the Maroons in the first half, 53-35, as his wards shot 52 percent in that stretch. The lead reached 22 points, and although the Maroons rallied to make it a two-point game in the fourth, 76-74, the General Santos-based squad survived by relying on crisp ball movement and finding the open man.
"Ngayon lang lumabas yung laro namin. Siguro kailangan umuwi kami ng may panalo," said Torrijos. It was the first time the Wildcats joined the tournament.
"Nung pumunta kami dito, UP talaga pinaghandaan namin, kasi baka doon kami makatsamba eh," said Landicho in jest.
"Sila talaga kasi yung record 0-28, baka sakali sa kanila kami makaisa. Yung biruan namin, UP kailangan talunin," added Torrijos. "Pero actually siguro off sila, marami silang open shot di lang nila maconvert. Siguro nag-aadjust pa sila sa bagong system."
The Wildcats end their first FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup appearance with a 1-5 slate while the Maroons are stuck at sixth with a 1-3 record in Group C.
Anderson was earlier rumoured to have been eligible for today's game but failed to appear as he had commitments with his network. The Wildcats management had his jersey ready in the dug-out. Though Anderson was nowhere to be seen, Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson was present.
Moriah Gingerich started at point guard for UP, a move that backfired as the Maroons struggled with ball movement early in the first. Meanwhile the Wildcats found the bottom of the net early, leading by as much 18-6 before UP head coach Rey Madrid called a timeout.
The Wildcats sank their claws deeper, scoring eight straight until Coach Madrid swapped Henry Asilum and Kyles Lao at the guard spots, and the Maroons ended a four-minute scoring drought. State U scored six straight, but still faced an uphill battle as the Wildcats doubled the Maroons' score, 28-14, after the first quarter.
The Wildcats sank their claws deeper, scoring eight straight until Coach Madrid swapped Henry Asilum and Kyles Lao at the guard spots, and the Maroons ended a four-minute scoring drought. State U scored six straight, but still faced an uphill battle as the Wildcats doubled the Maroons' score, 28-14, after the first quarter.
The Maroons' struggle continued in the second, as HTC packed the paint and forced turnovers from UP's slew of big men. The Maroons' turnovers led to slashing opportunities for the Wildcats, who led by 20 points at the 7:00 mark, 36-16. Asilum single-handedly spurred a 7-2 run for his side, 40-26, prompting Coach Torrijos to sue for time, as the Wildcats maintained their double-digit lead. The margin reached 20 for the second time after Dave Masaglang hit a runner, 53-33, and the Wildcats entered the dugout carrying a commanding 18-point lead, 53-35.
The lead peaked at 22, and UP couldn't catch a break as the Wildcats' ball rotation helped them score efficient, timely baskets to keep the lead above 15. The Maroons strayed from playing a half-court offense and started running the break, a move which paid dividends as they gathered a chunk of their points from the line. The Maroons capped the third quarter with an 11-4 run as they decimated the lead to just 10 points, 65-55.
The Diliman-based team continued hacking away at the deficit. 10 straight points from UP's wings trimmed the lead to just two points, as HTC's ball handlers struggled with the Maroons' press, 76-74. The Wildcats continued finding the open man as Batiller hit a three to keep it a two-possession game. HTC kept safe distance as UP couldn't buy a basket in the final minutes as the Wildcats go back to GenSan with a win, 94-85.
Though they were outrebounded, as in all their other games, the Wildcats shot a decent 45 percent from the field, making 40-of-87 shots.
Asilum led four Maroons in double figures with 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Lao followed with 18, scoring eight from the stripe while JR Gallarza posted a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. The Maroons won the rebounding battle 58-48 but failed to convert from the field, especially from the arc as they made only 3-of-28 attempts.
The Wildcats cap the preseason with a (1-6) record while the Maroons (1-3) face the unbeaten National University Bulldogs (2-0) on Monday at 4pm. - JDL GMA News
The scores:
HTC 94 - Batiller 21, Landicho 18, Yusop 14, Pragados 12, Masaglang 11, Mahaling 7, Polistico 4, Lape 3, Roxas 2, Pepito 2
UP 85 - Asilum 20, Lao 18, Gallarza 12, Dario 11, Vito 8, Moralde 7, Juruena 3, Harris 2, Gingerich 2, Bederi 2, Romero 0
Quarter scoring: 28-14, 53-35, 65-55, 94-85
