BULLDOGS BITE SHARKS IN EPIC BATTLE FOR TOP SPOT

By Eriele Salas

The Okkodo Bulldogs walked away with a 66-55 win against the Simon Sanchez Sharks Monday night in the Bulldog’s den. After a previous upsetting loss against the John F. Kennedy Islanders, the Bulldogs managed to tie for the first seed spot with the Sharks.

Monte Cabrera played an instrumental part in keeping the Bulldogs afloat with 25 points in the battle of the best.

First Half

The Sharks kept a close score with the Bulldogs but were unable to pull off enough shots to lead. Both teams were aggressive on getting possession of the ball, until Okkodo’s Ethan Solidum and Jude Lopez pulled their team ahead by just a few points.

The Sharks didn’t fall too far behind  as they still had a chance to catch up to the Bulldogs.

“We just had to key in on defense and find our shots towards the game,” said Cabrera, and sure enough they did. After pulling a good lead in the first quarter, the Bulldog’s momentum couldn’t be broken. 

Still, the Sharks didn’t get any less possessive of the ball as they scored quite a lot of points to give them the push that they needed. Sanchez’s Ralph Macaldo, Mj Simmy, and Raynard Lazarus combined a total of 15 points to get their momentum going. Atni Kasuta and Jace Dela Cruz also scored once each to add to their roster. 

The Bulldogs managed to stay consistent in their lead with Cabrera scoring 11 on the Sharks, with Ethan Solidum and Jude Lopez adding 9 more points to keep their position. 

After a battle of trying to get the ball to their team, Cabrera finally steals it and gets the last point of the first half.

Second Half

With a score of 33-28, both the Bulldogs and Sharks were determined to finish off the last half. Going back and forth, Sanchez’s Bless Aisek and Okkodo’s Cabrera battled it out with the three-point shots for their teams. The Sharks started to find their momentum here by knowing where to pass, and who to pass to. 

Sanchez’s Aisek and Kasuta carried their team in the third quarter and brought them up by just enough to be nine points behind the Sharks. 

Once again finishing off the third quarter, Okkodo’s Cabrera pulls away with the last shot for his team. 

Entering the final quarter, the Bulldogs were more than ready to walk home with a win. They had great momentum and flow, and their offense could hardly be stopped. 

Okkodo’s Cabrera, (Emer Roses), and (Jude Lopez) kept their team afloat and the Sharks on their feet while trying to secure the much needed win. They had great communication skills on the court which helped them find open opportunities to take good jump shots. The Sharks managed to stay close in score, but were too busy defending the Bulldogs that they weren’t able to take enough shots to catch up. 

Not falling behind by a single point, the Bulldogs were victorious in their redemption win against the Sanchez Sharks.