Strong start lifts Zambo

Zamboanga started strong to beat Bacolod, 77-65, to advance to the South Division finals of the OKBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 4th Season Wednesday at the Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Zamboanga City.

Egged by the massive sellout crowd, Zamboanga fielded an unconventional starting unit to surge ahead, 26-12, en route to the win that gives them a 2-1 lead in their best-of-three seminal series.

With that, they will face Batangas City I another best-of-three duel to determine who will advance to the national finals that start on Saturday at the same venue.

Toying a new ploy, Zamboanga coach Vic Ycasiano started with Irven Panecia, Chris Dumapig, Ralph Tansingco and John Mahari and Manuel Mosqueda who played with a lot of spunk to surprise Bacolod.

We did all the adjustments necessary.

And when the Zamboanga offense got going, the usual starters in twins Jaycee and Jayvee Marcelino, Chito Jayme, Jhaymo Eguilos and Jhaps Bautista took over to finish the job.

Despite playing for only 22 minutes, Jaycee wound up with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals to earn best play honors while Jaime contributed 11 points and four rebounds, and Tansingo chipped in 10 points.

Bacolod got 14 points and nine rebounds from Jhan McHale Nermal and 12 points from Joel Lee Yu. The team’s spiritual leader, Mark Yee, fouled out in the fourth quarter and ended up with eight points and 11 rebounds, while Alwyn Alday also registered eight points.

“We did all the adjustments necessary,” Ycasiano said.

“All I asked of them is to start strong and it happened.”