Growing Pains for Bacolod

Growing Pains for Bacolod

by rick olivares

There was exactly one second left on the shot clock when Paolo Javellona threw up a 26-foot three-point shot that swished right through the nets to put the Bacolod Master Sardines within a bucket of the fancied Makati Super Crunch, 69-66; 6:36 left to play.

Bacolod forced a turnover on Makati in the next play, but Jopher Custodio’s triple failed to find the mark. After a free throw that the Super Crunch’s Jeckster Apinan tacked on for a four-point lead, Bacolod’s Jerome Ortega drove down the right baseline to slice the lead in half, 70-68, 3:54 left. 

Bacolod’s bench erupted in celebration. 

Makati threatened to pull away as they went up 77-68 with 2:13 to play, but just as they did all game long, triples from Bacolod kept them close as Custodio and Javellona’s back-to-back threes put them once more within a shot, 77-74 with 1:15 to play.

Makati closed out the game with a 7-0 run as Bacolod self-destructed with two consecutive turnovers and three straight missed shots.

Makati won, 84-74, for their second win in as many games while Bacolod evened out their slate to 1-1 (they defeated the Mindoro Tamaraws in the MBPL debut, 87-83). 

Although a loss, much can be said about Bacolod’s effort. They were formed barely two weeks before the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League’s Lakan Cup tipped off. Many of their players aren’t even in any semblance of shape. Former Perpetual Help Altas forward Justine Alano who was one of that team’s Fab Four alongside Juneric Baloria (playing for Makati), Scottie Thompson (Barangay Ginebra), and Harold Arboleda (Zamboanga in the MPBL) joined the team a week ago. Though undersized, he is feisty inside and a very good rebounder and passer. “Gusto ko tumulong pero wala pa ako sa kundisyon,” he said. 

At the half time break with Makati leading, 34-24, Bacolod head coach Vic Ycasiano, who is no stranger to adversity, asked his team why they were running away from their game plan. “Bakit tayo nagmamadali?” he asked. “Meron tayong sistema. I-half court natin. Kasi kung mabilisan, laro nila yan.”  

Without his team in tip-top game shape, he wanted to conserve them for the game. “We look for the open man and pass that ball around. Hanap ng butas,” he said. Ycasiano won a NAASCU title with STI and with National University in the UAAP as an assistant to Eric Altamirano. Both those teams struggled before they ascended to the summit. He knows that it isn’t going to be easy especially with teams like San Juan, Manila, and Makati getting the jump on star players.

They do have Mac Tallo who not only has a chip on his should but has something to prove. There’s Javellona who was solid for NU during his UAAP days, but the rest are all role players Former Adamson Falcon Jan Colina who was with Altamirano and Ycasiano with the Flying V Thunder in the D-League isn’t the player he was in the UAAP as he has spent more time in the Philippine Army than playing basketball. Outside the UAAP, Custodio was a star for Manuel L. Quezon University and got to play with KIA in the PBA. 

Jerome Ortega starred for AMA Computer College also in NAASCU.

Haddi Porto played for Ycasiano with STI and was a part of the Olympians’ title team. Arnold Danganan who was not allowed to play by table officials as his paperwork was not allegedly submitted to the league played for the Altas alongside Alano.

“We’re like a patched up team,” said Ycasiano. “But when we are able to get this team in shape and understanding what we want to do – lalaban kami. We will hit our stride a few weeks from now. Hopefully, we don’t do too badly.”

After the loss to Makati, Javellona said, “Kaya naman namin. We made some mistakes lang. But we will learn. Sayang lang. We could have won this.”

As the team made their way into their locker room at the Filoil flying V Centre in San Juan, Ycasiano nodded. He knew his boys gave it their best this game despite all the shortcomings. But the competitor in him made him wince. “Growing pains,” he muttered. Then he entered the dugout.