LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Kabayan pulled a surprise Saturday and beat a highly favored Kapangan, 76-69, to bounce back from its opening loss to La Trinidad in the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Benguet Basketball League at the Benguet Sports Complex here.
Arvin Gamboa defied time as his 37 – year – old body carried the load for Kabayan in denying one of the more favored teams in the league. He top scored with 23 points on top of three boards and one each of assist and steal.
“We can win,” said Kabayan sharpshooter Kyle Naisod Friday afternoon as defense and their speed spelled the big difference in the game, the last of a five – game schedule in the event backed by Cong. Eric Go Yap and supported by Benguet Gov. Melchor Diclas.
It was the same confidence that he and the Mount Pulag residents carried on game time that saw them turn a six – point advantage at the end of the third canto into a 20 point bubble.
“We have been practicing a lot and we talk about the game plan, it was what we did for this win,” said the former Saint Louis University Liberal Arts player, who now works at the National Bureau of Investigation – Cordillera.
The team’s opening one point loss to powerhouse and defending champion La Trinidad showed how ready the team this season.
“We are prepared this season unlike in the past,” summed Naisod were they had winnable games only to lose it down the stretch, among which was against Kapangan.
Their debut last season against La Trinidad showed that they have the talent to give any of the highly favored teams a run for their money. In that game, Naisod had the then league high 35 points, that included nine triples.
Naisod drilled five treys, including one that cost him a technical foul for taunting the Kapangan bench after he made his last triple sending Rudolf Eilinger to the line. He finished with 18 markers aside from eight boards, two assists and four steals.
Eilinger had a monstrous game, a 28 – point, 23 rebound effort that went to naught as the game was already beyond their reach halfway in the fourth. His team mates were failing miserably to convert. He also dished nine assists in a near triple double effort that included four steals.
The two teams are tied as they carry a 1-1 win-loss slate.
Games Sunday at the BSC are in women’s volleyball. CEGYCC Release
