New Changming’s Ronald Bernardo extends for the reverse finish between two defenders during a game against Bridge Capital in the Michelob Ultra Cup 2024 at the Ada gym on Monday.
Bridge Capital’s Steve King takes the contested three-point shot from the corner during a game against New Changming in the Michelob Ultra Cup 2024 at the Ada gym on Monday.
NEW Changming handed Bridge Capital their very first loss via overtime, 99-93, in the Michelob Ultra Cup 2024 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Monday
Both teams were equally matched, filling the opening quarter with endless exchanges.
On Bridge Capital’s side, Steve King was a threat from beyond the arc as he punished defenders with a couple of triples while Matthew Richardson and Matt Duenas added a couple of buckets each from within the perimeter.
New Changming fought back by using their height advantage to control the pace of the game. Daryl Foronda and Marlon De Dios saw action inside the paint, combining for six points while on the defensive end, they dominated the boards by turning each defensive rebound into a fastbreak opportunity led by Rodel Pastrana and Ronald Bernardo, who scored eight and five points, respectively, to give their team a one-possession lead, 23-22.
New Changming’s momentum grew stronger in the second period as they stuck to their strategy of feeding the inside. De Dios drained a pair of buckets from underneath while Bernardo played his role effectively by capitalizing off three fastbreak finishes to stretch the gap.
Bridge Capital tried to match the tempo but struggled to create shots over the towering height of New Changming’s big men. Unable to put a stop to New Changming’s inside offensive, Bridge Capital soon fell into foul trouble and were trailing 49-39 at halftime.
Despite the 10-point deficit, Bridge Capital returned from halftime with a purpose as they gradually cooked up a rally. After back-to-back triples by Richardson and King, Duenas took over the spotlight doing what he does best — drawing fouls.
Duenas caused chaos from inside the paint as he connected four of his eight points from the charity line while Richardson followed with five consecutive points to cut the lead, 62-69.
In the fourth and final quarter, both teams started to show signs of fatigue as there were more misses than makes. Pastrana and Foronda tried to keep New Changming afloat as the frontline scorers, but they struggled on the defensive end due to a handful of players nearly reaching the foul limit.
Bridge Capital’s Duenas and King took advantage of New Changming’s foul trouble and continuously attacked the rim, combining for 13 straight points while Tony Kim sank a crucial three-pointer to even the score, 84-84, and force an extra five minutes of overtime play.
Bridge Capital continued to give it their all, but they failed to match New Changming’s height and speed. New Changming turned each defensive stop into a fastbreak finish courtesy of Pastrana and Bernardo to secure the win, 99-93.
With Bridge Capital suffering their first defeat, only Team Marianas remains unscathed. They remain the top team in the overall standings after crushing 670 Akkari-Eet 1, 124-49.
Scores
New Changming 99 – Rodel Pastrana 25, Daryl Foronda 19, Ronald Bernardo 17, Marlon De Dios 11, Su Diwa 10, Mark Ferrer 8, Christian David 4, Elmer Esdrelon 2, Ivan De Vero 2
Bridge Capital 93 – Matt Duenas 29, Steve King 22, Matthew Richardson 20, Tony Kim 13, Gergory Deleon Guerrero Jr 7, Derrick Atalig 1
