SAVEMORE and Jacob’s Bakeshop secured their spots in the semifinals of the 2024 Destroyers Basketball Club Invitational Basketball League by eliminating their respective adversaries at the TSL Sports Complex on Sunday.
Savemore, which outlasted Team Underground, 89-83, established control of the pace early thanks to their towering duo, Alex Lauron and Daryll Foronda, who were dominant inside the paint. But they also posed a threat from afar, scoring the first 16 points for their team, including one triple each.
Team Underground fought back valiantly throughout the first half led by their own dynamic duo, Matt Duenas and Jobert Meriales. Although they lacked the height, they had the strength to keep going with Duenas continuously attacking the rim while Meriales took care of the action from underneath the rim. They scored 14 and 11 points, respectively.
However, fatigue kicked in sooner than expected forcing the duo to take a breather. With no other reliable scorers, Team Underground failed to close the distance while Savemore had the support needed from the likes of Bryan Natividad and Raymond Binuya to maintain a double-digit lead, 49-39.
In the second half, the rest of Team Underground started to contribute to the cause. Duenas and Meriales picked up where they left off, but this time with JM Lontoc and Dave Lascuna also delivering the buckets to gradually close the distance as the game progressed.
But Foronda continued to deliver from within the perimeter using great footwork to create high-percentage shots while teammates Getsen Jandoc and Mark Malinay assisted with a handful of clutch buckets to keep Team Underground at bay and secure the win for Savemore, 89-83.
Jacob’s Bakeshop, for their part, held their own long enough to slip past the Saipan Tigers, 78-75.
Manuel Gatbonton led Jacob’s Bakeshop to victory with 23 points while teammate Emman Bondad scored 16 points.
Savemore’s Bryan Natividad pulls up for a three-point shot against Team Underground in a playoff game of the 2024 Destroyers Basketball Club Invitational Basketball League at the TSL Sports Complex on Sunday.
Savemore’s Daryll Foronda goes up for the finish against Team Underground in a playoff game of the 2024 Destroyers Basketball Club Invitational Basketball League at the TSL Sports Complex on Sunday.
