FILLING IN AS THE STABILIZER
Without Alex Cabagnot, GlobalPort struggled to find its footing against the physical Kia Sorento squad.
Losing 17 points in the playmaker’s absence, someone must grab the opportunity and make the most of his extended minutes on the floor.
This time, it was Ronjay Buenafe’s turn, as the seasoned shooter had 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second half.
“Kailangan talaga naming mag-step up,” he said. “Wala si Alex, walang stabilizer yung team. Naging problema pa yung depensa namin nung first half.”
Though they struggled for the better part of the game, the Batang Pier slowly made adjustments and realized the mistakes that made them play catch-up all game long.
“We started flat, nag-relax kami pero nagkamali kami. They played us physical. Pero nakapag-adjust kami nung second half, kumpyansa sa sarili at inayos lang namin yung defense namin,” Buenafe said.
The 84-79 win against Kia also served as a brand new day for the Batang Pier, as the victory enabled them to at least stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Buenafe said that the team, led by coach Pido Jarencio, had no doubt that this team can advance and compete at a high level if they just stuck with their plans.
“Nung mga past few months na magkakasama kami, ine-emphasize ni coach na may ibubuga yung team na ‘to,” he said.
“Di na sya katulad nung mga team before. Ngayon, maraming weapons, may mga slashers, shooters, at may mga bigs kami na maaasahan. Sinasabi nya sa amin lagi na hindi ‘to basta-basta na team, na lalaban at lalaban talaga kami.” (RL)
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
