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Blades notch first win of the season with dismantling of Treblinka Juggernauts

Philippine National Tournament Round 1
Treblinka Juggernauts @ Bacoor Blades
23:40

In a display of tremendous defensive effort, the Bacoor Blades methodically broke down Treblinka Juggernauts at The Bacoor Forum, 107-55, to notch their first win of the new season.

From the get-go, the Blades look to atone for their poor start off the gates this season, going inside immediately after the opening tip. Kelly Paul and Antoine Fauvel went to work early to establish their position as the threats underneath. The occasional bombs from the perimeter and beyond by Gabor Martinovics and rookie Ricaredo Publico made it all the more difficult for Treblinka to keep up. The first quarter ended 19-15.

But through stifling defense and crisp passing, the Blades were able to keep their opponents production in the second quarter again to 15 points while going off for 23 of their own. Halftime score was 42-30.

They would no longer relinquish the lead since then as the Blades allowed the visitors only 25 points the rest of the way while going on a scoring binge per quarter, further increasing the lead and adding insult to injury.

"It was a sound game for us. We did all that we wanted to do and we did it as efficiently as we could." Said team manager TheDogMan. "The passing was accurate and we took care of the ball in each possession. Something we did not do very well since the season began."

"Now that they had a game like this, I hope that they get a grasp of the idea and never let go of it for the rest of the season." the Blades' head concluded.

With the win, the Blades advance to Round 2, where they face paul6227 again at The Bacoor Forum. The game shall take place on the 24th of July. But they will hurdle first a game in the League against Dragons Lanzar Sobresaliente (DLS) Heat.

Blades win first League game in conquest of DLS Heat

League III.13 Elimination Round
Bacoor Blades @ Dragons Lanzar Sobresaliente (DLS) Heat
17:25

The Bacoor Blades avoided furthering their two-game slide as they defeated Dragons Lanzar Sobresaliente (DLS) Heat, 117-107.

The win gave them a 1-2 card after three games and avoided a possible slide to the bottom of the League, where automatic elimination threatens the team.

It was in the first quarter when the Blades looked to have figured out early the schemes of their hosts, winning the period 25-15 via the efforts of longtime standouts Kelly Paul and Eugenio Genco. The second quarter became a shootout as a combination of good offense and mediocre defense saw both teams explode for a combined 64 points. Halftime it ended 58-46 for the Cavite five.

But in the third quarter DLS just could not keep up as the Blades kept on firing on all cylinders, notching another 33-point quarter while only having 22 to balloon the lead to 23 points, 91-68, entering the last 12 minutes. A spirited rally in the final period was all for naught as the game was under wraps early in the period thru the efforts of the Blades frontline that turned the game into a block party.

Paul had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Bacoor, while his tag team partner Genco had 25 points. Gabor Martinovics had a double-double of his own, scoring 24 markers and dishing out 14 assists.

"We needed this win to get our bearings back. It was a tough way to come out of the gates in the first two games but we were able to stop the bleeding for now." said team manager TheDogMan.

"It was key for us to win this game and try to crawl back this season." said Paul. Not the way we wanted to start but we still have a full season ahead of us to try and correct our mistakes."

They face Born_To_Be_WIld up next at The Bacoor Forum.

Kwok Tuan An's effort in naught as Blades dominated by Born_To_Be_WIld at home

League III.13 Elimination Round
Born_To_Be_WIld @ Bacoor Blades
17:50

It was not a pretty sight to see as the Bacoor Blades got throttled by visiting Born_To_Be_WIld, 93-75, at The Bacoor Forum.

The game did not look that way at least early on in the first period, when the Blades fought back the early challenge, 23-16. But a second quarter storm saw the visitors take the lead and wrest the game in their favor, winning the quarter 31-18 for a 47-41 edge by the interval.

The Blades tried to make the game interesting by the start of the second half, but they ultimately lost the third quarter by two points as Gabor Martinovics had shooting woes and resident center Kwok Tuan An seemed to be the only one who can get shots at a consistent basis.

The final period saw complete domination for the visitors as they limited the Cavite five on the floor to just 16 points in the quarter, effectively shutting down any other attempt by the Blades to rally.

Kwok Tuan An had a monster effort 23 points and 25 rebounds to lead the home charge, Eugenio Genco added 13 points and 21 rebounds. But even though the Blades won the rebounding battle convincingly, 60-39, the team were unable to contain their opponent's outside shooting.

"They were just hot from downtown, the bulk of their production in the game came from their outside shooting." said team manger TheDogMan, talking about their opponents connecting on 15 of their 34 attempts from beyond the arc, a whopping 44%.

The Blades fall to 1-3 with the loss, tied for last place. They will have a break from League action as they face their second assignment in the National Tournament, paul6227, on the 24th of July before facing Ding-a-Lings on the 26th of July.

Blades dominate 2nd Cup assignment paul6227 at home

Philippine National Tournament Round 2
paul6227 @ Bacoor Blades
21:49

Despite their League blunders this season, one thing that the Blades are still enjoying is a stint in the National Tournament. And that continued as they won their second game of this season's staging, trouncing paul6227, 91-68, at The Bacoor Forum.

A monster performance from Eugenio Genco carried the Cavite five through to the next round, amassing 33 points and grabbing 22 rebounds. Young prospect Kenneth Roy Villanueva provided an additional 18 points and 20 boards while youngster Vladislav Zayka had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists.

The pressure was applied in the odd quarters, where the Blades kicked up their offense as well as turning on their defensive prowess against a hapless paul6227 squad that did not see any of the Blades' attack coming.

"We just surprised them at every turn. It was important for us to be quick on our attack because that was something that they did not expect to see coming into the game." said team manger TheDogMan. "We've always been a deliberate offense but this time, we showed them that we can be a running team as well.

"It had to begin with somebody. It just happened to be me this time." said Genco of his performance. "The big guns of the team are rested and we had to bank on a guy to make things happen. And it did happen for us this time." the Italian beanpole added.

The Blades face Ding-a-lings next as they look to bounce back from their League loss the last time out.

Blades introduce participating rookies in revived training program

The Holster Headquarters
Bacoor Blades
22:26

In a press conference at the Bacoor Blades training facility, team manager TheDogMan announced the revival of the Blades training program that became the breeding ground for eventual core players of the team.

"We are proud to announce the re-installment of the Bacoor Blades training program. The performance of the program has been well-documented and we have seen it produce some of our finest crop of players to wear the Blades jersey." said the Blades' head honcho.

The program has been home to players such as Gavienne Savillo, Utak Peregil, Gustavo Canora, Vergel Meneses Nufable and current Blades mainstays Kelly Paul and Eugenio Genco.

"It's nice to see this program revived. It's good that we can be part of something that these youngsters will undertake from a different perspective." said Genco.

"We've been in their situation and we understand the pressure they give you for you to learn and make the best player possible out of you." said Paul.

This current program shall feature perimeter players and it shall have three rookies participating. They are the following:

Kenneth Montera, 19 years old. A 6'6" guard/forward acquired by the Blades from tanggurak for $5,000. A 3rd round pick in the recent III.14 draft, Montera is keen to get his career going at the Blades program.

Nicolas Chan, 18 years old. A 6'4" guard also acquired from tanggurak for $3,000. A 1st round pick in the same draft as Montera, he joins his teammate to the Blades as part of the program.

Vladislav Zayka, 19 years old. A 6'2" guard from Russia acquired from BC Salavat Ulaev for $20,000. Drafted in the 1st round of the recent Russian III.15 draft.

Flanked with the big bosses and players of the Bacoor Blades, the program participants expressed their appreciation for their respective inclusions.

"I'm happy that they saw potential in us that they would actually take the time to hone our skill for the future." said Zayka, who was the first to arrive to the team among the three.

"Akala ko hindi na ako magkakaroon ng pagkakataong makalaro kasi na-transfer agad ako kaka-draft ko palang." said a jubilant Chan. "Salamat sa Blades at makakapaglaro ako habang natututo sa mga magiging kakampi at mentors ko."

"Salamat sa Bacoor Blades sa tiwalang ibinigay nila sa amin at sa pag-asang makalaro kahit baguhan pa lamang." said a humbled Montera. Susubukan kong gawin ang lahat ng makakaya ko para maging sulit ang pagpili nila sa amin."

The program shall be taken over by Serbian trainer Nenad Stojković, who was acquired by the Blades on the wire for $10,000.

"It shall be an honor to begin working this program with the team. I am happy that they are willing to trust me with this crop of young talent and to take them to heights that they can be in a few season's time."

The program begin immediately, with the youngsters receiving off-court training and practice drill to develop necessary skills as well as on-court experience, being able to play in Blades games to get a feel of the team's system and players.

Blades dominated by Ding-a-lings in League encounter

League III.13 Elimination Round
Bacoor Blades @ Ding-a-lings
22:45

A third quarter storm that they did not see coming took away the fight from the visiting Bacoor Blades against Ding-a-lings, 86-68.

They kept up with the home side in the first quarter as they were down by just four points, 18-14 after the opening 12 minutes. A 17-all second quarter kept the gap at four, 35-31. Thanks to the exploits of Kwok Tuan An and Kelly Paul.

It seemed that the Blades were poised to make this a close affair throughout the rest of the game, but Ding-a-lings had other things in mind. A shooting display from their two top guns Manny Antiquera and Castro Nicodemus Ibaya saw the lead balloon to as much as 30 points at one point in the third quarter.

By the time the fourth quarter came around, there was nothing much that the Blades can do but try to make the margin a little more respectable as the role players for the opposing side kept them at bay for the rest of the game.

Kwok Tuan An had 25 points and 17 rebounds in another monster effort put to waste. Paul added 18 and 12 boards while Allen Michael Secugal scored 10.

"Another tough one for us." said team manger TheDogMan. "Their team, despite having only two bona fide players, have guys who have their roles clearly defined. Players that accept their roles within the team." the Blades' head explained. "It's hard to compete with that type of a squad.

Out of the three rookies in the Blades program, only Nicolas Chan had a decent outing with 8 points on 4-of-6 shooting, with four rebounds, an assist and a steal.

The loss pegs the Blades at 1-4 for the season, their worst start since their first season in the League, where they failed to win their first five games.

Third straight loss for the Blades as they get walloped by rival Luna Thunders at home

League III.13 Elimination Round
Luna Thunders @ Bacoor Blades
23:06

It was a tale of two halves, with Luna Thunders getting the better half altogether.

The Bacoor Blades dropped another game at the hands of their conference rival Luna Thunders, 93-80, at The Bacoor Forum. This is their third straight loss keeping them at seventh place in the Big 8 Conference.

A spirited attack seemed to have waned as the game progressed as the Blades looked sharp early on, winning the first quarter, 18-16. The second quarter saw the Blades keep their visitors at bay, winning the period yet again for a 45-42 halftime lead.

But a blast in the third quarter saw Luna Thunders wrest the lead, and eventually the game, from the Blades as a stiff six-man rotation for the Thunders paid off, with Ronald Käärt and Cedric Fontaine leading the opposing cause.

The fourth quarter made matters worse as the team cannot string together baskets that could possibly keep the game at arms reach.

The loss puts the Blades at 1-5 for the season, while keeping their rivals unblemished in six games so far in their campaign.

Kelly Paul and Kwok Tuan An both had 24 points, with the former grabbing 14 and the latter 11 rebounds for the game. Gabor Martinovics struggled for the entire game shooting just 5-for-15 or 33% for 12 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

"We couldn't find the energy that we had in the first half in the later quarters." said team manager TheDogMan. "It was like two different teams competed on the home floor in those two halves."

"This is a tough stretch, no doubt." said Kelly Paul. "But we have to live with the results of our actions and move on as we try to build our chemistry."

The Blades will get a break as they face Black Silver Dragon in their third assignment in the National Tournament.

Secugal, trainee Zayka find breakout games in Cup win vs. Black Silver Dragon

Philippine National Tournament Round 3
Bacoor Blades @ Black Silver Dragon
23:25

After being gifted an entire 48-minute floor stay, Vladislav Zayka finally made the rookie impression expected of him.

The Bacoor Blades banked on the 19-year old Russian's game-long brilliance along with the hot shooting of recently-acquired Filipino guard Allen Michael Secugal to thwart the challenge of Black Silver Dragon, 122-112, to remain in National Tournament contention.

Secugal dropped 42 points, built on six made triples and 51% shooting overall, along with seven rebounds and eight assists while the rookie Zayka had a 31-point, eight rebound, four steals outing.

But Gabor Martinovics, who was keen to make up for his misfirings, posted a monster triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists.

The pace of the game was evident early, as both teams had loose perimeter defense which allowed open attacks to the basket and long range shooting success. Black Silver Dragon ended the opening quarter with a 31-30 advantage. With the second quarter seeing more of the same, it was Bacoor this time that took the period, but merely tying the game up at 61-all.

It was in the third period that some semblance of defense came to fore. The visiting Cavite five took advantage of the running game and wrested the lead at 86-81 by the start of the fourth. And the Blades proved to be the steadier team at the end by being able to protect the lead from the attempts by the home side to fight back.

"With our tight rotation, I didn't think we would be able to last that long in the game enough to compete." said team manager TheDogMan. "I wanted to rest my key guys so I gave Kelly (Paul) and Kwok (Tuan An) the game off. Gabor was coming off an injury scare so we needed to warm him up to get him back to shape." he further explained.

"It was a surprise even on my part that I was able to have this performance." said a jubilant Zayka. "We've kept ourselve in the Cup and I am glad to be part of the team's cause to do so."

The Blades were waxng hot from downtown, shooting 53% compared to just 22% for the hosts. The team also won the rebounding department 50-44 despite not having their key frontline with the aforementioned Paul and Tuan An rested and Eugenio Genco still recovering from injury.

The Blades enter Round 4 of the tournament, facing Sta. Maria Ground next on the 7th of August.

Kwok Tuan An on the line: Blades management put star center on the transfer market

Bacoor Blades Player Movements
Transfer Market
23:54

Just as the transfer news are to subside at the Blades camp, they let go yet again of another key player from their lineup.

Kwok Tuan An, the team's starting center, was put on the transfer market just after their 93-80 loss to rivals Luna Thunders. The move is made despite such move instigating an impending front line crisis that would deplete the once vaunted big man rotation of Bacoor.

The team chooses not to disclose some of the pertinent information regarding the transfer and the reason for the transfer. But team manager TheDogMan hinted that it was only part of their attempt to save and rebuild the organization.

"This is a drastic development, but it is something that is necessary in order to make the organization stable than before." said the Blades' head.

Tuan An was acquired in the middle of Season 26 to bolster the team's big man rotation, and was part of the Blades' two Finals trips last season and the season prior. The Hong Kong international posted 15 points and 12 rebounds in his first stint with the team. After a meager performance last season, he is currently enjoying his best as a professional basketball player, scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 boards per game, shooting 62% from the field so far in six League games.

Bids are currently in place, meaning that the 35-year old is bound to leave the team after a mandatory 3-day bidding period.