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Blades look to end eliminations unbeaten

League IV.43 Elimination Round
Bacoor Blades @ DLSU Archers
St. Benilde
18:08

The Bacoor Blades juggernaut showed no mercy from the get-go, obliterating opponents by an average point differential of over 47 points a game. And by the looks of things, the only obstacle left standing between the league-leaders and their quest for their second unbeaten streak in four seasons is the DLSU Archers, as they host the Cavite side tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

The surprisingly-easy chain of victories for the Blades have led to pundits and fellow managers alike to already crown them the league's best. But Blades' head TheDogMan was quick to douse water off the emerging embers of conclusions.

"Too early. Way too early. Believe me. I know." said the Blades' gaffer, mentioning the aforementioned position of the Blades three seasons ago. "Remember Season 20? Yeah I thought so. So believe me. I know that this isn't over by a long shot. So conclusions like that are too early for me."

Season 20 saw the Blades end the elimination round, 22-0, only to wind up losing the Finals series to The Blackout via sweep. Amidst a runner-up finish, they were surprisingly promoted to Division III, where they spent two seasons at the bottom of the standings before being relegated back after losing in a relegation series.

They've picked up ground since then though, winning all of their elimination round games so far as well as making their deepest National Tournament run this season, amassing $300,000 in winnings along the way. And although they have a chance to repeat their Season 20 success, they know that the unblemished record is not the ultimate goal.

"22-0 is not the end-all be-all of this league." said veteran forward Pedro Horcasitas. "I wasn't here yet when they achieved that feat. But they did not win that season so I will try my very best to make sure a different outcome will occur this time."

As mentioned, the game between DLSU Archers and the Blade shall serve as the final gameday of the elimination round as the playoffs are set to begin next week.

Blades unbeaten anew in the elimination round

League IV.43 Elimination Round
Bacoor Blades @ DLSU Archers
St. Benilde
13:57

The Bacoor Blades end the elimination round undefeated, crushing DLSU Archers, 124-64 at St. Benilde yesterday.

The win not only assured them of a repeat of Season 20's dominance, it also ended up being the preview of the upcoming playoff opener for both teams as the Archers dropped to the #4 seed as BATIL1 won their final elimination round game to match up with the Blades in the Great 8 Conference Semifinal.

A 31-11 start became the all-familiar omen for the home side as they struggled to convert from the field with no little credit to the Blades' suffocating defense. The other contributors to the Archers' cause were severely limited for the duration of the game and it manifested itself amidst a valiant effort by DLSU's top gunner Fruto Nicolas. The 3-point shootout champion churned out 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting, but only shot 20% from the great beyond. Kelly Payne had 10 markers to back Fruto up, but their production proved to already be the bulk of their offensive production for the entire game.

The Cavite side was led by Iliya Dimov, who had 26 points and six rebounds, shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Co-captain Kelly Paul and Eugenio Genco had double-double outputs of 21 and 10 and 13 and 15 respectively, with Genco contributing a further seven assists in the game. Three other Blades scored in double figures.

"We've put ourselves in a great position. We've been clicking all season long." said the 6'9" Paul. "We have a blueprint to look into in our Season 20 performance. Let's see what happens this time."

"They never lost focus in the elimination round. They had one thing in mind and that is to get back to DIII. They will have a great chance this time." said team manager TheDogMan.

As mentioned, the Archers and the Blades will match up as the #4 and the #1 seed, respectively, in the Conference Semifinal, which begins on the 28th of May. The winner of the one-game playoff will face the winner of the #2 seed ESTORYAHEE! and #3 seed BATIL1 pairing in the Conference Final.

Blades begin playoff push vs. Archers

League IV.43 Playoffs
Great 8 Conference Semifinal
#4 DLSU Archers @ #1 Bacoor Blades
11:00

For the second game in a row, league-leaders Bacoor Blades and DLSU Archers square off, but this time around, the stakes are even higher as both teams look to eliminate one another to advance to the Great 8 Conference Final.

The knockout game shall determine one of two teams that shall duke it out to represent the Great 8 in the best-of-three Finals series, with the other tie-up being #2 seed ESTORYAHEE! and #3 seed BATIL1.

The Cavite five swept the season series 2-0, part of their dominant 22-0 run in the elimination round. This included the game last Saturday, the final game of the elimination round that the Blade won, 124-64. They also won the initial meeting last March 30, 104-67.

But despite the seemingly-dominant showing of the Blades this season, team manager TheDogMan was quick to reiterate the team's true goal.

"We want to win the title. We want to be promoted back to DIII and not overstay our welcome here in Division IV. This is a huge step in attaining that goal." said the Blades' boss.

"Simula na ng playoffs. Kahit na maraming nagsasabi na sigurado na ang panalo namin, hindi pa rin dapat maging kampante." said co-captain Mark Louis Hugos. "Simula na ng totoong labanan."

This game, along with the rest of the Season 23 playoffs in League IV.43 are to begin tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

Blades eliminate Archers; advances to Conference Final

League IV.43 Playoffs
Great 8 Conference Semifinal
#4 DLSU Archers @ #1 Bacoor Blades
19:42

Exuding sheer domination from the get-go, the Bacoor Blades obliterated DLSU Archers to advance to the Great 8 Conference Final, 103-53 at The Bacoor Forum.

A record-setting 10,439 people witnessed their home team lead from start to finish, showing no remorse until the final quarter, when the game was no longer in doubt. The attendance record was made official during the halftime festivities, making it the first time that the venue hosted over 10,000 people since upgrading the venue to the aforementioned capacity just over two weeks ago.

The Cavite five was led by arguably their three most important players: Co-captains Mark Hugos and Kelly Paul, and Eugenio Genco, who had 22, 17 and 15 points respectively. Genco also had 13 rebounds before fouling out of the game in the early parts of the 3rd quarter. Sophomore bigman Chester Maynard took it from there and did not disappoint, grabbing 10 rebounds and six points.

DLSU was led by Kelly Payne's 18 markers - the only double-figure scorer for the visitors. League scoring champion and three-point shootout champion Fruto Nicolas ended up with only six points, shooting 2-for-15 from the field for a measly 13%, as he obviously look frustrated by the Blades' defense.

"I believe that we were able to execute our defensive gameplan perfectly." said team manager TheDogMan. "We won't lie that Fruto was on our crosshairs for this game. He averaged 22 points on us the last two time we met. Limiting his production was key." he continued.

"Sa mga pagkakataong nagta-tao kami, marami kaming nagro-rotate para bantayan siya." said Hugos, who also dished out nine assists and blocked one shot. "Pero siguro yung sugal namin na mag-sona at hayaang talunin niya kami sa mga tres niya, tumalab kasi wala siyang na-shoot from three." the 6'5" skipper continued, pointing out Fruto Nicolas's woeful 0-for-6 shooting from beyond the three-point line.

With the loss, DLSU Archers are officially eliminated from the playoffs after finishing the elimination round as the #4 seed with a 13-9 win-loss slate. They were the #3 seed for the majority of the regular season before losing two key games that materialized the swap between them and BATIL1.

Despite this fact, BATIL1 lost their Conference Semifinal showdown against #2 seed ESTORYAHEE!, 115-109. Which means that the Great 8 Conference Finals shall be between Bacoor and ESTORYAHEE!.

Conference Final set as Blades face ESTORYAHEE!

League IV.43 Playoffs
Great 8 Conference Final
#2 ESTORYAHEE! @ #1 Bacoor Blades
10:37

The stage has been set. The Bacoor Forum shall host it's second-ever Conference Final as the Bacoor Blades face ESTORYAHEE! this Saturday, the 1st of June, at 5:30 pm. The winner will represent the Great 8 Conference in the Best-of-Three Finals series to determine the Champion of League IV.43 Season 23.

The two teams won their Conference Semifinal tie-ups in contrasting fashions, with the Blades cruising through DLSU Archers, 103-53 while ESTORYAHEE! had to endure a late-game rally to pull the game out of the fire, 115-109. ESTORYAHEE! finished behind the Blades in the final standings of the elimination round by eight games. But despite the rankings, the games between the two squads were never close, with the Blades defeating ESTORYAHEE! in their first two encounters; a 130-89 victory last March 16 and a 104-72 decision last May 11.

Two of the best young players in the League will duke it out as ESTORYAHEE!'s Miguel Gelera and Bacoor's Kelly Paul is expected to lead their squad's charge to victory. The 19 year-old Gelera averaged over 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two steals throughout the elimination round while his counterpart normed 18 points, 13 rebounds and two block during the same period.

"That young kid can play, no doubt." said team manager TheDogMan. "He ignited their charge this season. That being said, he's on our crosshairs the same way that Fruto Nicolas was the last game, definitely." he further added.

"Mahalaga na mapigilan yung batang 'yon kasi mahalaga talaga siya sa opensa nila." Blades co-captain Mark Louis Hugos admitted. "Halos magkasing-tangkad sila ni Fruto. Kaso dahil mas bata si Gelera, mas maliksi ang galaw niya. Athletic kumbaga." Hugos claimed.

"They're one of the more high-octane offenses in the League. So it's up to our defensive schemes that will determine our success in the game." said Pedro Horcasitas.

The visitors will also miss the services of Antonio Galopo, one of their regular rotation players off the bench as well as Gilberto Oblea, who norms 17 points as a starter for ESTORYAHEE!.

"They will not have two key guys for the game, which is a sad development. But we have to do the things we need to do to win." said center Eugenio Genco.

The winner of this one-game playoff shall face the winner of the Big 8 Conference Final match-up between Citta Italia Rangers and Creators creation in the League Final.

Chance at Redemption: Blades barge to League Final with thumping of ESTORYAHEE!

League IV.43 Playoffs
Great 8 Conference Final
#2 ESTORYAHEE! @ #1 Bacoor Blades
7:55

Before a crowd of 10,945 people, the Bacoor Blades destroyed another formidable foe in ESTORYAHEE!, 101-40, to book their second Division IV League Final in four seasons.

The Cavite five demonstrated their might over the visitors with a resounding 24-9 first quarter score, which the fans have come to know as an indicator that the game is long done before it could even continue. What ensued was a continuous pounding in the middle quarters, with the Blades wielding a 55-15 first half lead. But although the game was already wrapped up before the fourth quarter even began at 77-24, the Blades kept on building the lead to embarass the opposing Conference Finalist to submission.

Iliya Dimov and Pedro Horcasitas paced Bacoor with 19 each. Kelly Paul and Eugenio Genco had double-double performances as they combined for 26 points and 24 rebounds, while power forward Laurence Lacambra even had 11 points in just 16 minutes of action.

The visitors were led by Percival Rubias and his 10 markers - the only double-digit scorer for the Blades. Sophomore guard Miguel Gelera only had eight points on 3-for-18 shooting, even firing blanks from beyond the arc on five attempts.

Only Mark Louis Hugos was made available to the media after the resounding victory, as the team headed back to the dugout and out of The Bacoor Forum immediately after the game.

"Ang masasabi ko lang sa ngayon, at siguro masasabi ko ring ito ang pakiramdam ng buong team: Hindi pa kami kuntento rito. Nais naming makabawi at babawi kami. Ang misyon namin ay makabalik sa DIII, at yun ang pipiliting naming makamit." said a stoic Hugos, who showed no signs of jubilation after the victory.

The gameday also saw the other Conference Final take place, with the Citta Italia Rangers defeating Creators creation, 118-100, which means that the League IV.43 Finals is set between the Blades and the Rangers in a Best-of-Three series.

Offense meets Defense as Blades meet Rangers in League Final

League IV.43 Playoffs
Season 23 League Final Game 1
Big 8 #1 Citta Italia Rangers @ Great 8 #1 Bacoor Blades
14:13

It was believed by many to be the ultimate showdown this season, given their respective performances this season. And the prediction of many pundits shall come to fruition in a few days time as the Best-of-Three Finals series between the two best teams in League IV.43 are about to begin at The Bacoor Forum.

The Blades won the Great 8 by subduing DLSU Archers in the Conference Semifinal and ESTORYAHEE! in the Conference Final. The Rangers won the Big 8 by defeating white spiders and Creators creation in the same rounds on the other side. Now that the two teams are to collide to determine the team to be promoted to Division III, one can't help but take into notice their lone meeting in the elimination round.

The Blades crashed Citta Italia Arena, leaving the Rangers hapless after a 99-72 shellacking that derailed the Rangers in what was then the battle of the undefeated teams for the season. That proved to be the sole blemish in the Rangers' record for the rest of the season as the Blades proceeded with their immaculate round that they shall put on the line come Game 1.

"It's a pretty long time since we last met. I don't know if it could still be used to gauge how the two teams would fare." said team manager TheDogMan. "But this could be translated to two things: either one of us have improved and can build on what they did from that point on, or one of us declined and may find it hard to cope up with the other." he further added.

"I am confident that we're not the latter. But we're not confirming we're the former. All we know is that we are a strong team that is capable of many big things." he closed.

"It's easy to put us in the position as favorites. But that should not faze us as the game is played in order to truly decide who wins." said Eugenio Genco, who had a 20-point outing the last time these two teams met last April 20.

"Confidence is essential, but complacency isn't. We should approach this game the same way we approached the entire season and that is to win by all means." said Spanish super-sub Eladio Martin.

The long-awaited Game 1 showdown at The Bacoor Forum shall take place tomorrow, June 4 at 5:30 pm.

Blades overwhelm Rangers to win Game 1

League IV.43 Playoffs
Season 23 League Final Game 1
Big 8 #1 Citta Italia Rangers @ Great 8 #1 Bacoor Blades
14:45

In an amazing display of poise and determination, the Bacoor Blades overcame early Finals jitters to come away with yet another dominating performance as they take Game 1, 103-42, to move one win away from winning their first League title in franchise history.

The win also signified their first finals victory in three tries. Their previous two finals games were from their first trip back in League IV.6 Season 20, where they were swept in the Championship round by eventual champions, The Blackout.

Amidst obvious jitters from the Cavite five, they were able to get rid of the early butterflies as they took a 25-12 lead in the first quarter. A balanced attack led by Bulgarian gunner Iliya Dimov furthered the lead to a 42-20 halftime edge for the hosts. Team manager TheDogMan provided the necessary motivation for the Blades that turned their offensive mojo on as they erupted for 61 points in the second half while allowing just 22 points the rest of the way.

The 6'0" guard had game-high 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 3-for-5 three point makes. Eugenio Genco nearly had a triple-double for the game as he had 16 points, 15 rebounds and career-high nine blocks for the game. Kelly Paul also had a solid outing with 12 points and 12 boards. Two other Blades scored in double digits while five scored at least five points for the team.

But the difference showed on the defensive end. The Rangers' Fab Five of Felipe Villalino, Aleman Onas, Peregrino Allegre, Krstivoje Petrović and Phillip Bell averaged a combined 88.8 points as a group. But for the game, they combined for just 38 points as they could not keep up with the defensive rotation thrown at them as well as the ineffectiveness of their bench players, which is one of the perceived weaknesses of the Rangers entering the series.

"We were able to shut them down. I never thought it was possible to do that two times against a team that has a great bunch of players." said team manager TheDogMan.

When asked about the impending second game on their opponent's home floor, the Blades gaffer sounded intent on closing the series.

"We're going for the jugular. We should end this by Saturday." he exclaimed.

Game 2 will be on the 8th of June at Citta Italia Arena at 5:30 pm.

Blades sever ties with Rosa Paz; welcomes Révfi

Blades Organizational Movements
The Holster Headquarters
18:56

The Bacoor Blades management today have announced that trainer Airton Rosa Paz has been relieved of his duties as of 6:35 pm today.

Blades team manager TheDogMan released the news indicating the decision and that the position shall now be take over by Tamás Révfi. The Hungarian shall now oversee the training of the Blades' two key rookies Regan Elizaga and Vergel Meneses Nufable.

"With a heavy heart, it is our responsibility to inform the Bacoor Blades community that Airton Rosa Paz has been relieved of his duties as trainer for the Bacoor Blades basketball team. It was an agreement that was reached after negotiations to further the stay of Mr. Paz has failed to reach a consensual pitch. The Bacoor Blades organization, led by team manager TheDogMan, have made the necessary procedures to determine the successor of the crucial position." said the official statement released by the Blades just minutes after the decision.

"The search was made to hire a replacement to Mr. Paz's duties and the duly-selected successor is Tamás Révfi of Hungary. He shall take over the training duties of the Bacoor Blades as he has agreed to a deal to secure him under the Blades organization. We wish the best of luck to Mr. Airton Rosa Paz and may he find success in his future endeavors. He has helped develop the young players of the team and has built a training and development foundation that would prove to be quite an act to follow."

"We hope for the kind consideration of the Bacoor Blades community as our ultimate goal is to provide the community with the best organization, evidenced by a strong, competitive and solid team that can contend in future seasons. Thank You very much."

The move came in the middle of the team having its full attention focused towards the League IV.43 Season 23 Finals, where the Blades lead the Citta Italia Rangers 1-0 in the Best-of-Three series.

Blades go for 'the jugular' in Game 2

League IV.43 Playoffs
Season 23 League Final Game 2
Great 8 #1 Bacoor Blades @ Big 8 #1 Citta Italia Rangers
9:

After passing the first test of notching their first Finals win back in Game 1, 103-42 at The Bacoor Forum, taking a 1-0 lead in the process, the Bacoor Blades are ready to take the next, and probably last test, to affirm their road to redemption being complete. They travel to the Citta Italia Arena today as they visit the Citta Italia Rangers where the host will look to tie the series at one game apiece and force a tiebreaker.

Just hours before tip-off, Blades players already showed excitement over the game and how they want to play it already.

"This is probably the most exciting challenge that I'm going to have to face so far in my career." said Eugenio Genco, who since the Season 20 letdown has been thrusted into the spotlight as the main man on the post for the Bacoor five.

"Back then, though I started, I was playing off Insa (Saady)'s actions whether on the paint or from the perimeter. Now I have assumed more responsibility and I am looking forward to meeting them head-on." the Italian beanpole added.

"This game will truly define our team in terms of our progress from past seasons." said team manager TheDogMan. "Did we improve? did we stay the same? or did we decline?"

"Handa na kami. Excited na kami at sobrang positibo kami na magagawa namin 'to." said team co-captain Mark Louis Hugos.

The game shall begin later today at 5:30 pm.

CHAMP1ONS

League IV.43 Playoffs
Season 23 League Final Game 2
Great 8 #1 Bacoor Blades @ Big 8 #1 Citta Italia Rangers
22:11

The road to redemption has been completed.

The Bacoor Blades have defeated the Citta Italia Rangers, 136-82, in Game 2 of the League IV.43 Finals at the Citta Itala Arena, sweeping the Rangers, 2-0.

The Blades displayed that amidst the fact that they identified themselves as a defensive team, they were still capable of putting the ball in the basket as they shot 51% from the field, while holding their adversaries to just 33%. It was a no-contest in the rebounding battle as the Blades handily won that category 66-41 and their paint defense was impeccable, typified by their 19-2 shot blocking edge.

The Blades tried to dictate the pace of the game in the first quarter, but the Rangers were quick to react as they tried to slash their way inside to draw fouls and get to the line, putting Pedro Horcasitas and Eugenio Genco in early foul trouble. But after a Blades timeout, the Cavite five saw renewed confidence and established their pace by running as they won the period, 28-14.

The second quarter saw the Blades pull away for good as they continued to pound the offensive glass for second chance opportunities. Three point baskets from Horcasitas did not help the Rangers cause either as they kept on missing him on their defensive rotations that found him open at almost every time. Halftime saw the Blades up 71-35 and from that point on the game was no longer in doubt as the offensive putbacks continue to haunt the Rangers defense as they found themselves completely outmatched from the frontline.

Eight players scored in double-figures for Bacoor, with team co-captain Kelly Paul notching game high 24 points and 15 rebounds. Two other Blades players had double-doubles, with Eugenio Genco netting 16 and 12 rebounds and super-sub Eladio Martin with 14 points and 10 caroms.

The home side was paced by Krstivoje Petrović's 19 points, but it took him a whopping 33 shots to get there. The rest of the Rangers' esteemed "Fab Five" scored 50 points, but with not a lot of bench help as they only chipped in 13.

"These guys deserve this victory, the title and everything that goes with it." said an obviously-elated team manager TheDogMan. "After all that they've been through the past three seasons, this is sweet vindication."

As the final buzzer sounded, co-captains Paul and Mark Louis Hugos shared tears of joy as their efforts have been reciprocated with the franchise's first-ever taste of silverware. Hugs and high fives were abound as they couldn't be stopped from celebrating their victory on enemy grounds.

In a surprise appearance for the first time since he parted ways with the Blades in Season 20, legendary forward Insa Saady, who led the team to their first League Final back in Season 20, was present to congratulate the squad for a job well done.

"It was a shaky process for them since Season 20. But I'm very proud that they actually made it this time. They played as a team and won as a team. They had their leaders and role players. This team is as sound as it was all season." said the 36 year-old Saady, who recently retired from basketball.

"After all this time, we can finally say that we are Champions." said the 6'9" American. "We did it. We can finally say that we got promoted to Division III as the Champs."

"Eto na ang pinakamasayang sandali na career ko bilang player. First title ko 'to, ang saya talaga." said a still teary-eyed Hugos, who had 12 points and eight assists in the victory.

The challenge now for this crew is to try and make up for their initial stint in Division III as they begin their journey starting next season.