Looking at the Bataan Risers’ Game 1 demolition of Caloocan

Looking at the Bataan Risers’ Game 1 demolition of Caloocan

by rick olivares

Even at 91-71, Game One of the quarterfinals best-of-three series between the Bataan Risers and the Caloocan Supremos wasn’t close. The game was practically over in the first period, 28-9, in favor of Bataan.

The closest Caloocan could get within touching distance was a shoving match between the Supremos’ Mark Sarangay and Bataan’s Yvan Ludovice (after a foul by his teammate Gab Dagangon on the former). 

How did this demolition job happen?

If you explain the game of basketball, in its most simplistic terms it is to score and stop the opponent.

And the Risers accomplished that. They were exceptional on offense and pretty good on defense (more on this later).

Take a look at the first period.

Bataan registered six assists on offense and two blocks and one steal on defense.

The Supremos only had one assist, one steal, and one block.

Eight of the Risers’ baskets came inside the lane while they hit six shots from beyond 15-feet.

The Supremos were 3-8 inside the lane. They missed all eight of their medium range shots and were 0-5 from beyond the three point arc. 

That is an indication of one, the difficulty Caloocan had to get the ball inside to Rene Pacquiao and Mark Sarangay, and this team’s propensity to shoot from the outside instead of mixing it up.

The Risers made life difficult for Pacquiao and Sarangay. Then Caloocan couldn’t hit the side of a building even if their lives depended on it.

Their outside gunners were firing blanks.

Paul Sanga was 2-9 from the field.

Jopher Custodio was 2-8.

Damian Lasco was 4-9.

Cedrick Labing-isa was 2-8.

And Almond Vosotros shot 5-17.

With a collective field goal shooting pegged at 33%, it is still possible to win. However, Bataan shot 49%. A good number of the baskets made were from within 15-feet or closer.

Alfred Batino was 5-6.

Gab Dagangon 7-10.

Byron Villarias shot 7-11.

Pamboy Raymundo was 5-9.

Richard Escoto, 4-7.

We’ve seen the field goal percentage but the total team game of Bataan was on display. They chalked up 28 assists to Caloocan’s 14.

And lastly, while this was a game where the offense took center stage while Bataan’s defense was quietly effective.

Key stats here are the production of Pacquiao and Sarangay.

Sarangay in 25-plus minutes had four points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Pacquiao in under 20 minutes of play finished with four points and nine rebounds. 

With Caloocan’s two key inside operators held in check, Jopher Custodio had to help out and he did provide quality minutes for Caloocan – with five points, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block.

When the inside game isn’t going to well, that places more pressure on the regular gunners in Almond Vosotros and Ced Labing-isa. Paul Sanga has been streaky at best and never consistent.

So on to Game Two.