BuzzerBeater Forums

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.

The Holster Feature: How the Bacoor Blades fell from grace

The Holster Headquarters
Bacoor Blades
00:25

After two Finals appearances, the Bacoor Blades took a deep plunge into futility. Six games in and the Cavite-based squad only has a win to show for against five losses for a seventh place rank in the Big 8 Conference. This start is similar to their start during their first season in League III.13, where they lost their first five games before new acquisitions Boris Buzhan and Antoine Fauvel helped form the core that would keep the team competitive until last season.

At the peak of their powers, the Blades had gunners in Buzhan, Ariel Eliav and Stephane Rambert before Gabor Martinovics joined the pack last season. At the front was Fauvel and Kwok Tuan An, who helped the team rack up win after win and surround long-time pieces Kelly Paul and Eugenio Genco with the needed leadership and firepower to aid them in the campaign.

Since then, Buzhan has left, and so is Eliav and Rambert before the season began. Fauvel was let go last week and Kwok Tuan An is nearing the same fate. All that is left from the once intimidating core is Paul, Genco and Martinovics, with three rookies enlisted for the Blades training program as well as a seasoned veteran in Allen Michael Secugal, which seeks to stabilize the squad despite the recent changes.

But the question in everyone's minds is why is this so? Why so many changes within a short period of time? Team manager TheDogMan is quick to address the queues.

"It's just as sudden as how we got them." said the Blades' head. "When we needed help to make the team competitive, we jumped to the transfer market to find key guys that would fill our gaping holes on offense and defense." he further relayed. "We just did it again. But this time, it was the other way around."

The Blades have made aggressive moves in the past to acquire players thru transfers. These transactions usually end up being short-term deals that sees the players let go after one season or at most, three seasons.

"While they are necessary deals made to bolster the team, these deals were also depletive of our resources and has caused us to go deep in the red for numerous times before." said Angel Viterbo, Blades PR Manager.

This situation went into overdrive when the Blades got deep into debt by as much as over five hundred thousand dollars, triggering a mandatory period to organize the team's finances.

"Had we not saved ourselves from that predicament, it would have meant force-selling our key guys and not being able to compete for a title that season."

However, the team also admitted that acquisition of quality players at good prices have become increasingly difficult as the seasons pass.

"The increase in transfer prices for players that we usually acquire for less has indeed become a problem." TheDogMan explained. "But despite the increase in prices, we have been able to make some good deals. But as an organization, we thought it best to make a turn to a different approach."

"One that will benefit the team for more than three seasons. A long-term plan." said TheDogMan.

As for the plan, recent activities by the Blades have shown their intention: The reinstatement of the Blades training program, the acquiring of rookie participants for the program and the acquisition of a trainer to administer it, on top of the transfer moves made by the franchise to free up their payroll and their investment in their arena.

"This one will take a while. But this is going to be an exciting few seasons watching this team re-emerge into how they were the past few seasons - maybe more." concluded TheDogMan.

Rookies Montera, Chan find stride to halt Blades skid in win over TheResurrection

League III.13 Elimination Round
TheResurrection @ Bacoor Blades
10:34

Using a strong showing in the middle quarters, the Bacoor Blades defeated TheResurrection to notch their first League home win for the season, 91-79, behind a stellar display by two of their three rookies under the training program.

Top gunner Gabor Martinovics led the Cavite five with a near triple-double of 23 points, 10 assists and 8 boards. It would have been his second consecutive triple-double as he notched great numbers in their recent National Tournament assignment.

But the story of the game is the performance of rookies Kenneth Montera and Nicolas Chan, who score 20 and 18 points, respectively. They also provided a lot of energy on the defensive end as they combined for five steals and five blocks in the game. This came at the heels of a strong showing for fellow rookie Vladislav Zayka in the National Tournament, earning the three high praises from both teammates and management.

"They've been a bit too eager at times. But you cannot fault their effort to make a good impression on the team." said team manager TheDogMan. "It's good that we can get games like these from them at times, but solid performances on a consistent basis and we will be fine in the later games."

"These types of games make us feel confident that the potential that we saw from them prior to their entry to the team is realizable within the program." said team trainer Nenad Stojković.

The Blades move one spot to sixth place in the standings with a 2-5 win-loss record. It also snaps the three-game losing streak of the Cavite-based squad. The Blades shall face Valhalla Demons on the 5th of August.

Martinovics waxes hot as Bacoor demolishes Valhalla Demons for second straight victory

League III.13 Elimination Round
Bacoor Blades @ Valhalla Demons
21:00

While it took a while for them to get going, when they did, they were unstoppable.

The Bacoor Blades defeated Valhalla Demons, 84-53, to pump life into their playoff bid. Gabor Martinovics continued his stellar performance for three games now as he notched game-high 36 points together with six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Kelly Paul had a double-double of 13 points and 18 boards.

After succumbing to the Demons in the first quarter, 19-21, a defense-oriented second period saw the Blades gain the upper hand at the half, 34-31. They truly shut down their opponents in the third quarter by allowing only seven points for their hosts while scoring twenty of their own.

"We were able to heat up in the later periods and we ultimately took the wind out of them." said team manager TheDogMan. "It was a needed win to give ourselves a chance at the playoffs for this season." he further added.

"It's good to have performances like these under my belt. But the priority is that we are winning and making progress despite the changes in the team." said the 34-year old Martinovics.

The win brings the Blades to the neutral 5th place zone with a 3-5 record, winning the tiebreaker against DLS Heat. The Blades shall face Sta. Maria Ground up next as they resume their National Tournament stint on August 7. The will return to League action with a game against Team Dugong Bughaw on August 9.

Size still a problem as Blades await Genco's return

The Holster Headquarters
League III.13 Elimination Round
21:30

In a press briefing earlier after their daily practice sessions, Bacoor Blades team manager TheDogMan admitted that the current situation with their frontcourt is still a problem despite their recent win streak of two League games and a Cup win.

"Our frontcourt rotation has been a trouble for some time now. Since we had to let go of our key contributors down the post, it has been a struggle to continually get points down low." said the Blades' head, who recently showed the door to Antoine Fauvel and Kwok Tuan An, two of the most integral parts of the Blades' past success.

The gaffer also admitted that the recent turn of events has led to the him putting a smaller team on the floor for most of the game. "We made Allen (Secugal) and Gabor (Martinovics) assume the 4 spot at times, trying to provide a more stretched offense, but it has cost us on defense."

The situation was not made any better by the fact that their sole option underneath remaining, Eugenio Genco, is still down with an injury from a few weeks back.

"We were forced to make roster adjustments since he's injured. It has been tough to watch at times see a smaller lineup than our opponents, but our two wins so far give us an idea that it can work in stretches."

Although TheDogMan admits that the return of Genco would make things easier for the Blades. "It's always good to have an option down low. It also relieves pressure off of Kelly (Paul) and Gabor to score more, as well as more margins for error on the side of our trainees, which would help them develop later on."

While watching his teammates run through the session, Genco expressed his excitement to return to the floor for the Cavite-based squad.

"Of course I'm excited to get back there. There starting to win again and I'm eager to contribute to the cause again. It's been a while and I'm hoping to return as soon as I can."

"His return will stabilize the lineup and lessen the minutes of our key players, especially Gabor and Kelly." TheDogMan concluded.

Genco waiting game still on-going as Blades take on Sta. Maria Ground in next Cup assignment

Philippine National Tournament Round 4
Bacoor Blades @ Sta. Maria Ground
00:02

The Bacoor Blades go on the road for their fourth Cup game against Sta. Maria Ground. And with a depleted lineup, team manager TheDogMan will have to face their hosts still without their key center Eugenio Genco.

"It's still uncertain whether he can play for us in the Cup." said the Blades' head.

The situation remains bleak whether the 7'0" Italian can return to the court but the team has high hopes despite their big man out on the sidelines in civvies.

"We've been able to win the last two games without him. And while he is an important part of what we do, we need to step up and not let his inability to play affect us." said Kelly Paul.

The beanpole has averaged nearly 13 points and 12 rebounds in the four League games so far in the season. And his inside presence has been sorely missed as teams with a solid front court have been able to manhandle the Blades in recent games.

"We're going to face a team that does not necessarily have a set up strong five. It will make things interesting for sure." said gunner Gabor Martinovics, who has been able to find his shooting touch over the last three games.

It will be interesting indeed as to how the Blades continue to play without Genco. They did win their last three games including their Round 3 assignment. This proves that they are starting to gel as a squad and is willing to add Genco to the mix once he fully recovers.

"His contributions will be welcomed heavily when he returns, but the team has to play on while he's still out." TheDogMan concluded.