
By Robert Balajadia
The Okkodo Bulldogs didn’t get their first lead on the home team JFK Islanders until overtime, and they didn’t surrender it once they captured it. Okkodo buckled down on defense to hold JFK scoreless in the extra period, pulling out a 62-55 victory in the ISA Boys Basketball League Tuesday evening.
Trailing 55-50 with a little over a minute left, Okkodo’s Lenard Baul flipped on the clutch switch. Baul would strip JFK’s Amram Yobei at mid court for a fast break layup to get within 55-52. Baul would follow up with an even bigger bucket, hitting a three from the left wing to tie the game with 18 seconds left.
“If you know it’s critical you have to take the shot, miss it or not, you just got to do it,” said Baul on taking and making the biggest shot of the night. “You just gotta do your job and play with confidence. We were antsy in the beginning, but when it came down to it, that’s when we put our heads up an kept playing.”
JFK’s Rodson Simina would get an isolation play from the top of the key, using a cross over to get inside the paint. Simina floated up a shot that appeared to be online, but the shot would hit back rim, bouncing to Bulldog Kobe Santos.
Santos would dribble the ball down court and tried to get a final shot off, but the final buzzer would sound before Santos could get his release, despite the ball banking in for what would have been the game-winner.
Okkodo didn’t waste their chances in overtime after taking their first lead of the game off a Jessie Martin baseline jumper 57-55. Baul would then get in the pain for an easy deuce to extend the lead 59-55 with under a minute left.
“We held it down on defense,” said Jon Lorena on what allowed them to stay in the game and trailed by as many as 10 points. “We were stagnant in the first half, but when it mattered most we held it down and that’s all that mattered.”
The Bulldogs had fallen to the Islanders in the GSPN Preseason Tournament by a large margin. When asked if that loss had any effect on how passionate the Bulldogs came out Tuesday evening, Lorena assured that they will come to play against any team on their schedule.
“We’ve been wanting to challenge these guys since the preseason and they’re a great team, but it doesn’t matter who we play. We will come to play every night and that’s how it is, we have love for the sport. Doesn’t matter who it is, we’ll come to play,” said Lorena.
Lorena led all Bulldogs with 16 points and Baul scored all eight of his points in the 4th quarter and overtime periods. JFK’s Simina led all scorers with 26 points and Ralf Manalac added 13.
PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:








GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

Basketball
BULLDOGS WIN BATTLE OF 4-0 TEAMS

Baseball
MUNA LEADS DODGERS TO TOURNEY FINALS

MMA/Boxing
JONES TO FACE FORMER UFC CHAMPION

Baseball
GECKOS SWING BIG IN SEASON OPENER

Baseball
FRIARS EDGE ROYALS IN PITCHER’S DUEL

Basketball
FRIARS TAKE DOWN PANTHERS 74-68

Running/Track
GECKOS, SHARKS BUILDING TRACK CONFIDENCE
