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On The Road To Supremacy

The Bacoor Forum, Bacoor, Cavite
19:03

The Bacoor Blades are about to begin it's quest of promotion to Division III as the League IV.6 Playoffs draws near.

The Blades are looking to improve on their performance in last year's playoffs, where they went all the way to the Great 8 Conference Finals despite being the fourth seed and at a home court disadvantage, succumbing to eventual champions, El Tigre Chino in the one game playoff for the Finals berth.

After gaining important big game and playoff experience from last year, the Blades faced the new season as title hopefuls, which they were able to respond soundly as they currently hold an unblemished 19-0 record in the elimination round so far, with their latest victory coming in the form of a 95-66 drubbing of Great 8 7th placers Bagasbas Express.

"We're ready" said the team's manager, TheDogMan. As they parade their marquee players, Iliya Dimov, Mark Louis Hugos and their veteran swingman Insa Saady. They will also bank on their bruising frontline composed of Eugenio Genco, Utak Peregil and Kelly Paul. They will also rely on Eladio Martin to provide the spark off the bench for the Blades

Saady, who is reportedly in his last stint with the team, hopes to end the season helping the Blades achieve their promotion goals.

"This whole journey has been wonderful. But it would not mean anything unless we win the championship and the promotion" says Saady, who has been a vital cog in the Blades recent success and is currently their leading scorer averaging 19.7 per game.

The Blades will round out their elimination round assignments with games against Dream Team 4 on the 28th, TeAm Ecifircas on the 31st, and the big showdown against Berds Cage on August 4th.

The games against Dream Team 4 and Berds Cage will be held at The Bacoor Forum.

Saady's Last Hoorah

The Bacoor Forum
19:22

Hours after their scrimmage game against Thunder and ligthnings, Bacoor Blades manager TheDogMan has made it official that their superstar small forward, Insa Saady, will no longer be part of the lineup next season.

"We have come to terms with Saady and he, too is also willing to move on from the team." says TheDogMan after talks were conducted the day before. "He felt that he was to hamper the improvement of the team if he was to stay any longer, and that if he were to stay with the team, it would be detrimental rather than beneficial" TheDogMan added.

Saady confirmed those statements by adding, "It was an easy choice on my part, since I saw them grow up with my own eyes. I was with them when they were still relatively young to the league. And I have full confidence that I was able to help them develop and mature as players" said the 6'7" French forward.

Saady will surely be a big loss to the team, as his averages of 19.7 points on 50% shooting, 4.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals will have to be taken up by someone else in the team.

Saady was drafted 9th overall in the Season 5 draft of the French League IV.7, played for three teams before landing on the Bacoor Blades as their first big player transaction in Season 17.

Saady is expected to hit the transfer market by the end of this season. Where the 33 year old is about to look for his 5th basketball team to play with.

Blades to put immaculate record at stake vs. Dream Team 4

The Bacoor Forum
21:34

Currently sitting atop the standings, the Bacoor Blades look to defend home court and extend their undefeated run to 20 wins as they face sixth seeded Dream Team 4 in the ongoing Pilipinas League IV.6 Tournament to be held at The Bacoor Forum.

The Blades are coming off a 95-66 win against Bagasbas Express, while Dream Team 4 came off a loss to interface, 119-112 after winning six straight games.

The last meeting between the two teams was last June 2, when the Blades defeated Dream Team 4 in dominating fashion, 104-76. Iliya Dimov led the way in that game with 24 markers in just 22 minutes of play while Eladio Martin had 21 points in 26 minutes of action.

The main difference between their previous game and their upcoming game is the absence of big men Sascha Eckert and Gustas Cvanovas, both of whom were put on the Transfer Market by the Blades midway through the season. Their replacement though, Eugenio Genco, along with the improving play of rookies Utak Peregil and Gustavo Canora should be able to give the Blades enough support up front.

The Blades will have to once again rely on their vaunted Princeton Offense scheme as they have been all season. Anchored by their veteran forward Insa Saady and his 19.7 ppg clip, the Blades have been averaging 105.3 points per game this season. Matchup wise the Blades have the edge on points per game, field goal and three point field goal percentage as well as lesser turnovers per game. However, the team grabs lesser rebounds and is are no better free throw shooters than Dream Team 4.

Just in their first season in the League, Dream Team 4 had acquired European players such as Czesław Smiech and Jesús López to bolster their lineup. These players will once again be relied upon the Dream Team 4 as they battle the top seeded Blades. And after seeing recent success in using the Base Offense, they are expected to play under the same scheme come game day.

Blades rout DT4, extends streak

The Bacoor Forum
3:45

The Bacoor Blades used a 1st quarter rampage as they trumped Dream Team 4, 103-82 at The Bacoor Forum last July 28.

The win gave them their 20th straight victory in as many games, further solidifying their hold of the top spot in the Great 8 conference.

Bacoor's Princeton offense was highlighted by six players that score in double figures, with veteran forward Insa Saady leading the way with 20 points along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Iliya Dimov was not far behind with 19 markers and five assists. Kelly Paul and Gustavo Canora combined for an effort of 26 points and 16 rebounds while Tim Puckett and Mark Hugos scoring 11 and 10 points respectively. Eladio Martin had 8 points off the bench.

Czesław Smiech led the way for DT4 with 19 points while Jesús López had a double-double effort of 12 points and 10 rebounds for Dream Team 4.

for more stats regarding the game, go to http://www.buzzerbeater.com/match/46462167/boxscore.aspx

Bacoor faces TeAm Ecifircas in crucial tiff

Bacoor Blades @ TeAm Ecifircas
TEAM DAVAO SACRIFICE
16:45

The Bacoor Blades enter foreign territory as they face TeAm Ecifircas today

The Bacoor Blades are already assured of a playoff spot as the top seed in the Great 8 conference. However, for TeAm Ecifircas, a win would not only lead to a potential snapping of a storied winning streak, but also a sign of hope for their flickering playoff chances.

A win against the top seeded Blades would still give TeAm Ecifircas a chance at the playoffs as long as they are able to win their next two assignments, including this game versus Bacoor Blades and their elimination round closer versus Dream Team 4, along with the hope that current fourth seed interface would drop their next two assignments: one against STAR PLAYERS and their elimination round closer against The Dynasand Midges, the current #2 seed in the Great 8 conference.

The last time these two teams met, it was a 115-77 rout of TeAm Ecifircas at The Bacoor Forum, with Insa Saady churning out a double-double effort of 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Blades. Jothan Tabanas, a player currently on the Transfer market for TeAm Ecifircas, led the team that game with 19 points.

Although the Bacoor Blades are not that much involved in the ramifications of the battle for the final playoff spot, Blades manager TheDogMan is never complacent with where they are in the league standings.

"It looks good on paper. But nevertheless, it would not mean anything if we do not finish the job." says the Bacoor Blades manager. "We want to enter the playoffs garnering all the confidence that we could gather. We are also looking forward to our final assignment for the elimination round." TheDogMan further added.

The Bacoor Blades will be facing Berds Cage next at The Bacoor Forum to close out their elimination round assignment.

Blades get 21st win, routs TeAm Ecifircas

Bacoor Blades @ TeAm Ecifircas
TEAM DAVAO SACRIFICE
19:28

The Bacoor Blades score their 21st win of the season in as many games by trouncing TeAm Ecifircas, 109-79 at TeAm Ecifircas's own court.

The Blades went off to an early 10-4 lead en route to a 27-17 1st quarter lead off 14 points by Insa Saady, who ended up with 26 points on 50% shooting, along with five rebounds and three assists. Since then, the Blades would no longer relinquish the lead as they kept on bombing away from beyond the arc off triples by Saady and Iliya Dimov. Although Eladio Martin would end up having 20 points after the game, it was Dimov who helped the Blades pull away in the early quarters as Martin's points came when the game was out of reach late in the fourth.

"We wanted to come out strong against these guys and show that we were not going to take them lightly.", Insa Saady told The Holster. "It was a statement game as well as a gauge as to where we are as a team. We have high confidence and we need all the confidence we could get from here on in." added by Dimov.

Eugenio Genco was able to shrug off early foul trouble. Though he only had five points, he had a monster 19 rebounds for the Blades. Accompanying him was a double-double effort churned out by Kelly Paul, 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Team Ecifircas was able to garner 24 points from Amilcare Cena, with Dingdong Dominic Solido and Qian Cunde scoring 13 and 11 respectively. TeAm Ecifircas remains at the fifth spot with an 11-10 win-loss record. And with this loss to the Blades, TeAm Ecifircas are officially out of playoff contention as interface, the team they are trying to contend with for the final seat in the Playoffs, won against STAR PLAYERS in a rout, 110-73.

Both teams are to close out their elimination round assignments on August 4 as TeAm Ecifircas play Dream Team 4 and the Bacoor Blades stage their much awaited showdown against Berds Cage at The Bacoor Forum.

"Berds Cage is one tough team. They know what happened the last time we faced each other. It was as close a game as it can get." said Bacoor Blades team manager TheDogMan, pertaining to the 128-127 thriller between the Bacoor Blades and Berds Cage last June 9.

"They know they can compete against us. It's going to be a great game." he further added

for more stats from the previous game go to http://www.buzzerbeater.com/match/46462174/boxscore.aspx

The Holster Feature: Not Always This Way: Part 1

The Bacoor Forum
21:40

As of this writing, the Bacoor Blades are on a 21-game winning streak. And regardless if they win their final assignment against their archrivals, Berds Cage, this coming August 4th, it will be a history-making feat that only four other teams in League IV.6 History have been able to achieve.

But four seasons ago, it was hard to imagine this team even making it to the playoffs. And I believe it can also be justified that it was hard to simply breach to double-digit victories.

"Naaalala ko pa yung first game ko para sa Bacoor. First game ever talaga ng team yun." recalls Mark Louis Hugos, the only remaining player from the original roster for the Bacoor Blades.

"Lahat kami baguhan pa sa liga. Baguhan pa sa sistema tsaka sa isa't-isa." Hugos furthered.

The game that he pertains is that fateful first game of the Bacoor Blades as a franchise: an October 8, 2011 baptismal of fire for them as they faced the number one seed at the time, A2:Revenge.

"Ang lalakas talaga nila, halos hindi kami makapuntos. Talagang blankong blanko kami simula pa lang" Hugos further recalled.

They did not breach double-digit scoring for the first three quarters, while allowing their opponents to continually pound them on all fronts.

"Ayoko na ngang alalahanin eh." Hugos exclaimed, followed by a mild chuckle.

Nevertheless, the result of that game was an absolute beating to the tune of a 102-36 beating from the team which would eventually win it all that season.

"Sila yung nagchampion nung season na yun eh. Dalawa lang naman talaga silang naglalaban noon. A2 tsaka Bagonhon." Mark Hugos recalled the rivalry between A2:Revenge and the Bagonhon Slashers. The two teams were promoted to Division III since then, with the Slashers being relegated back to Division IV.6 as Dream Team 4.

Mark, who was an awe-struck 20 year old at the time, scored eight points, grabbed three rebounds, dished two assists and stole the ball twice.

Since then team manager TheDogMan began the effort to making the team better. He took over the team with three games remaining in the elimination round, and with the previous team being at the bottom of the standings, TheDogMan had no choice but to inherit the futility of the previous manager and build the team from the ground up.

"It was a very tough stretch. Although I was very excited in managing my own basketball team, I understood that success will not come as early as when you want it to be." said team manager TheDogMan, recalling his early days handling the team.

"And the good thing about it was that since we were at the very bottom, there was nowhere to go but up."

TheDogMan would go on to improving his team's facilities as well as providing them with a newly-renovated arena that held up to six thousand people.

But the most important thing that TheDogMan did was to bring in players from the Transfer Market that made the team competitive in future games.

On October 12, 2011, the Blades acquired 19 year old Kelly Paul from Shooter Tutors, who came off a championship stint in Division V of one of the American Leagues as a rookie.

"I remember that day when I got word that I was going to the Philippines. I was anxious." Paul blatantly admitted. "It was going to be a different culture, multiple adjustments were to be made that I thought was risky at the time since I wanted to just focus on my game." he further added.

But it was eight days after Paul's acquisition that the team would really turn their franchise around.

to be continued...

The Holster Feature: Not Always This Way: Part 2

The Bacoor Forum
12:18

On October 10, 2011 they would acquire free agent Insa Saady, who last played for tbilisi dinamo in the French League, where he won a championship.

"I was beginning to fall out of interest with the team, to be honest." said Saady, who wanted to leave dinamo due to off-court issues with the team. "I was performing well, we won the championship and the promotion. But they were not treating me well back there. I wanted out so bad." vented Saady, who chose not to disclose any specific reason as to his desire to leave his previous team.

Saady came to the team at the peak of his prime. And the Blades were ready for whatever it is that he was to bring to the table.

"I wanted the team to compete immediately, to at least give its fans reason to cheer. And he became that reason." said TheDogMan.

"Nung dumating si Insa, hindi namin alam yung gagawin namin eh." said Hugos, who admitted his doubts over Insa at first. "Kaso nung pinakita niya yung laro niya, napahanga niya kami. At dahil siguro dun, nakuha niya respeto namin."

Saady, along with Hugos and Paul, as well as center acquisition Sascha Eckert back then, would form the team's core of players. Saady would show that his former team was wrong in doing the things they did to him and took over the league by storm.

"It was a big favor what they did to me, getting me out of my previous predicament and giving me a warm welcome to this team." said a grateful Saady. the 6'7" French forward would average 24.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 6.0 APG in his first year with the team, leading them to a 13-9 record that season.

"He was obviously the biggest reason why the team made that huge jump from the previous season." says Paul, who did not have a bad season as well at the time, averaging over 14 PPG and nearly 10 RPG.

Although the jump was impressive, the following season saw the Blades full of expectations. As they were dead set on improving their standing from the previous season and contend for the playoffs.

The team went on an impressive run, winning its first two games, them dropping its next two. Followed by a rollercoaster of a season that inflicted injuries to some of their key players and players coming in and going out. It was around this time when they began adding more pieces by acquiring Iliya Dimov and Eladio Martin.

Through it all, it saw them end the elimination round with the same record as lat season, a 13-9 win-loss slate.

"It looked bad from our perspective, but nevertheless it was the sign of things to come" says TheDogMan.

And boy was he right. The Blades were actually the third seed entering the playoffs. And they embarked on a playoff run that would see them beat the odds of home court disadvantage in the playoffs and win against interface to advance in the Great 8 conference finals. However, they ultimately lost in that stage against El Tigre Chino.

"It was a sweet victory for us. To be able to make it to the conference finals. We could have done better had we had a better run in the elimination round. But it was a good learning experience." said Eladio Martin, who was a starter for his last team but accepted the role of sixth man backing up Saady at the Small Forward position.

"We were defeated by the eventual champions. That's something we can look positively. That we could have done what they had done had we put ourselves in that same position"

That was last season, as they were able to make use of what they had gone through from that playoff run. Now, as they embark on this journey throughout the elimination round unscathed so far, they will have to do whatever it takes to make it to the promised land. With a strong lineup and an integral rally point in Insa Saady, the improved play of Hugos and Paul, as well as their key additions, it is not hard not to count them out of the title hunt.

end

Last edited by TheDogMan at 7/31/2012 12:19:22 PM

The Holster Feature: The Rivalry Part II Primer (Part I)


It might be just fitting that in the second edition of The Holster Feature, we are to bring in to focus the incoming second round encounter between Great 8 Conference bitter rivals Berds Cage and the Bacoor Blades. And it is just as fitting that these two teams would face each other to close out their respective elimination round duties.

Both Teams are assured of entering the playoffs, with the Blades coming into playoff competition with a sure hold of the #1 seed of the Great 8 Conference and home court advantage for the entire playoffs due to their superior record compared to their Big 8 Conference counterparts The Blackout, meaning that the only time that they will have to play as a road team is Game 2 of the League Championship round, if they can get there. While Berds Cage, after going through the early stages of the tournament as the #2 seed will have to settle for the #3 seed and would be at a home court disadvantage when they face the #2 seed The Dynasand Midges in the League Quarterfinals.

For all we know, if things go well for both teams in their Conference Quarterfinal assignments, this could also be a prospect of how the League Semifinals could look like for the Big 8 bracket.

Where they are now

Many have called this incarnation of the tournament the “Season of the Blades” as Bacoor had breezed through most of the competition en route to their currently immaculate 21-0 win-loss record. They have been led all the way by their two top scorers; shooting guard Iliya Dimov and the outgoing small forward Insa Saady. This season however, might not have been as successful as it was for the Blades had it not been for the improvement of the rest of the team’s core players: The improved shooting and point guard play of Mark Louis Hugos, the development of Kelly Paul into a lethal inside-outside weapon as well as the emergence of Eugenio Genco as their top center after taking the cudgels from Gustas Cvanovas, who, along with Sascha Eckert, were put on transfers by the team earlier in the season.

For Berds Cage, most of the damage caused by the team come from a lethal duo: Monster rebounder Triantafillos Polichronos, who currently grabs the most rebounds in the league for the second straight season, and reigning League Most Valuable Player Gianmaria Caccamo, who is currently on pace to be the leading scorer of the league for the second straight season as well as being one of the top candidates once again this season for the MVP plum. Whenever the leading scorer and leading rebounder of the league are in the same team, they are almost always likely to make it to the playoffs, as these two players have wreaked havoc towards the rest of the league with their two-punch combo. Polichronos is a capable scorer himself especially on the inside while Caccamo won the MVP trophy last season not just by scoring alone, as he is also a terrific passer. Caccamo is currently the second best passer in the league today stats-wise with over 7 dimes per contest.

How it fared the last time

One of the main reasons for the hype that this next game receives is that these two teams gave the league a show when they first met for the season last June 6 at The Cage when Bacoor and Cage went toe-to-toe until the final seconds of the game. Both teams were entering the game undefeated, so it only meant that one of them must walk out of the game with and umblemished record. The result would be a 128-127 thriller of a game as Berds Cage missed out on a chance to win it at the buzzer.

The Holster Feature: The Rivalry Part II Primer (Part II)


From almost all fronts, it could be seen that the Blades were leading on most of the categories, with the Blades and Cage even canceling each other in terms of rebounding and turnovers, meaning that both teams did not let each other get that much of a chance to pull away from the other. Both teams had five players in double digits at the end of the game, with the two top performers from both teams in Saady and Caccamo.

The main story of the game however, would come at the last two minutes of the game. As the warning was announced, Kelly Paul would nail a crucial three-pointer with 1:55 to go to give the Blades a 126-116 lead. And just as the game was to be considered out of reach for Berds Cage, MVP Caccamo happened, as he went on a shooting rampage from beyond the arc. He scored 9 points during the time span as he willed his team to a chance to win the game. It was also a combination of bad end-game play by the Blades as they were unable to score on their end and when fouled, were unable to buy themselves points from the free throw line. Nevertheless, the Blades escaped with the win despite their end-game woes off of a split from Iliya Dimov that punched the final score.

Aftermath

As mentioned, the Blades would go on to a win streak that is still alive up to this point. While the Berds Cage would hang on to the second seed until the end of the first round of the eliminations before suffering setbacks that tripped them down the #3 seed in the playoffs. But regardless of where they are now as per team standings, both teams are actually experiencing a better season than last year, when the Blades were the #3 seed and the Berds Cage would be the #4 seed of the Great 8 conference. The Blades and Cage would both end their playoff participation at the hands of eventual champions El Tigre Chino, with the Cage losing in the League Quarterfinal and the Blades losing in the League Semifinal.

By the season numbers

These two teams are some of the best that League IV.6 has to offer. And as we get ready for their showdown this upcoming August 4, we are to look into their season averages to see how they fared throughout the first and second rounds of the tournament.

Just looking at the two teams’ point production alone, we expect to see these two teams explode on offense, with their average points per game being the two best in the league. But where they differ most glaringly is their defense: the Blades defend better on average, with their 85.6 points allowed per game being 3rd best in the league. Although Berds Cage shot better from the three point line in their last encounter, the Blades shoot better on average from that department and from the field overall, though Berds Cage are not far behind in field goal percentage. Triantafillos Polichronos is a beast on the boards, underlining the Berds Cage superiority on the rebounding end. However, in terms of execution, the Blades are better with an average of over 24 assists per game, league’s 6th best so far as well as averaging lesser turnovers than their rivals, with a norm of 13.8 giveaways per game. But in terms of efficiency points per game, Berds Cage edges out the Blades for the season. Both teams are decent shot blockers at best, with the Blades slightly winning the statistical comparisons.

The Holster Feature: The Rivalry Part II Primer (Part III)

How they may fare now

If we were to base it solely on statistical data, most people may conclude that the Blades would edge the Berds Cage, then again, there are a lot of things to consider rather than the numbers these two teams mustered all throughout the season. First, obviously, is the fact that the first time these two teams met, the Blades barely escaped their rivals. Berds Cage was the team that was closest to beating them during the first round of the eliminations. Another thing that we must consider when these two teams meet again is the chemistry of the teams coming into this game. Now that the Blades have been able to get at least a few games under their belt since they transferred their two top centers Eckert and Cvanovas and acquired Eugenio Genco from the market, you can only expect them to perform better this time around. It is important to note that when the Blades fought Berds Cage the last time, it was already with this lineup in place. One concern for the Berds Cage is that when they faced the Blades last June 6, they had a different roster and has since changed personnel, although this concern is a very small one at best, since they have as well had a few games under their belt. Regardless of how Berds Cage fared this season as compared to Bacoor, it is impossible to count them out of the game that early, despite the statistical advantage for Bacoor, when they face their rivals, you can count that those numbers are out of the equation. Had it not been for that muffed attempt by Berds Cage at the buzzer of that fateful game the last time, it would have been a whole different scenario. Then again, the Blades know better and understand that these instances should not happen again. As for their rivals, Berds Cage, they go into this showdown knowing that they can beat the Blades.

A story of “Always the Bridesmaid”

The main protagonists for their respective teams in this eliminations round closer are undoubtedly the best players on their teams: Bacoor Blades’ Insa Saady and Berds Cage’s Gianmaria Caccamo.
Insa Saady had always been one of the most talented players this league has even seen. But even at the peak of his powers last season and two seasons ago, Saady is not able to come away with the League highest individual honor, both seasons of which were considered his better chances in winning the MVP plum. And the main reason is the presence of Gianmaria Caccamo, who had always shown his abilities on the court. Caccamo and Saady might not be the tightest of contenders for the trophy even in recent seasons, but it will be interesting things to see if which of the two are able to come away with the bragging rights over the other come Saturday.

Those are just some of the stats and stories that we are to feature in preparation for this much anticipated showdown.