LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Bokod started the new year with a bang despite starting so slow that even the backcourt duo of John Ric Buenaventura and Rey Bilibli were sluggish after the long yuletide break.
The runner-up from last year managed to eke a 108-71 in the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup – Benguet Basketball League Saturday at the Benguet Sports Complex here despite struggling in the free throw line with only six of their 26 shots found the mark.
Bokod struggled to find its footing as the two combo guards opened the scoring to take a 4-0 lead and a 24-15 after the first quarter.
From there, Bokod slowly built a substantial 58-39 halftime lead, then an 81-59 advantage at the end of the third quarter. From there, Atok has apparently given up the fight as Bokod built a 41-point lead midway in the last canto.
So off were the Bokod players were when they even struggled to complete a legitimate line-up before the game started. With the guards were Nestor and Giovanni Cuilan and Roy Pulac when the game started and late in the first canto, Shane Balnges arrived and then Ray William a little later for a seven-man team.
On the other hand, Atok started with six men and finished with eight.
Buenaventura and Bilibli led, arguably, the most popular team with 27 and 26 points, respectively. The former University of the Cordilleras standout Buenaventura added six rebounds, four assists and three steals in the win, while the former University of Baguio guard Bilibli almost made a double-double with nine boards, six dimes and two steals.
Despite spending much of his time on the bench, Pulac came up with a double-double – 11 points and 12 rebounds, while dishing five assists, two steals and a block.
Balnges chipped in 10 markers, while pulling seven rebounds and seven assists and two steals.
The Cuilans, meanwhile, helped in the rebounding side with 12 and 11 for Giovanni and Nestor, respectively.
Atok, meanwhile, was led, as expected, by Kurt Tamiray wth 24 points while adding 12 rebounds three assists and four steals, while the other Kurt, Limpayos backstopped him with 17 markers and 11 boards. Clifton Melis may have had four points, but pulled down 12 boards.
“That was a sorry loss against Kabayan,” said Pulac after he was named the best player of the game. “We could have taken that, but then we lost the nicest of the guys in the league,” said Pulac referring to Rey Gabino, who was thrown out of the game early in the second quarter after a scuffle with Kabayan big man Johnny Pascua, both were called for fouls, but he was slapped with a technical foul for extra motions that netted him a one game suspension.
“Oh well, we were so sluggish due to the long break,” added Pulac.
Pulac said that they must step up now, sacrifice to practice in Bokod, even if he and several other guys are based here.
“We need to win more, practice so we can be ready for La Trinidad and even Tublay. Trinidad is definitely strong and we need to defeat them, but Tublay is quite competitive and we should not under estimate them,” he added in a mix of Iloko and Tagalog.
It was the fifth win in eight games for Bokod, while Atok slipped to 2-6, their fourth consecutive setbacks.
Bakun is leading Mankayan 34-32 in the second game of a six – game schedule as of this writing. CEGYCC Release
