Checkpoint advances to open finals vs Easy Riders
Checkpoint put a stop to The Game-Eats Easy and clinched the last open finals slot of the Inaugural SMEC-SMLEG Invitational Basketball Tournament 2023 last Saturday at the Koblerville Gymnasium.
Checkpoint will once again face off against undefeated Easy Riders in the much-awaited finale scheduled for this Saturday at the Gualo Rai basketball court.
The Game was no match to Checkpoint’s fast and furious starting five and their slightly better gameplay and execution. Even with that, The Game trailed by just 4 points at the end of the first quarter, 17-21, but heading into the third, they were down by 13, 27-40.
Checkpoint went into a 3-point shooting frenzy instigated by Gerald Flores, Greg Sablan, and Keith Santos, that The Game could not stop—and in the blink of an eye, Checkpoint was up, 57-38.
The Game’s offense was shut down as they could not get a grip nor a break at the basket for the rest of the fourth quarter. Almost each attempt to catch up from the 3-point line by 3-point specialist Preston Basa was a shoot and miss.
Their drives and field goal attempts by D.J. Ong and J.R. Galang were also inaccurate and almost nonexistent due to Checkpoint’s tight defense that had them rooted to the ground.
The cherry on top was the fall of The Games’ ball handling during their possessions as Checkpoint’s swift swipes led to interceptions and converted them quickly into drives and layups.
As a result, Checkpoint exploded with a 29-point run, while The Game was smoked to just 10 more points toward the end of the game. Checkpoint’s Keith Santos was their top scorer with 23 markers, followed by Chioni Dela Cruz’ 20 points and Coby Santos’ 12.
The Games’ Galang put up 12, while Basa swiped 11, and Greg Deleon Guerrero contributed 7.
Checkpoint 86 – K. Santos 23, Dela Cruz 20, C. Santos 12, Sablan 6, Flores 6, Castro 6, Camacho 4, Castillo 4.
The Game-Eats Easy 48 – Galang 12, Basa 11, Deleon Guerrero 7, Fitial 8, Ferrari 6, Ong 4.
Scoring by quarters: 21-17, 40-27, 57-38, 86-48.
Checkpoint’s Keith Santos contorts in the air for a fake before passing it to a waiting teammate off frame during their semis game against The Game-Eats Easy in the Inaugural SMEC-SMLEG Invitational Basketball Tournament 2023 last Saturday at the Koblerville Gymnasium.
-LEIGH GASES
