Iloilo aims to equalize series against Basilan

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

After a disappointing loss in the opening game of the MPBL Lakan Cup quarterfinals against the Basilan Steel Jumbo Plastic, the Iloilo United Royals are looking to strike back and equalize the series.

Shooting poorly from the field in game 1 and missing star gunner Al Francis Tamsi, the men in gold and white are ready to play in the opponent’s home floor and force a do-or-die scenario.

Royal enforcer and MPBL all-star Richard Escoto is seeking for a statement game after his poor performance in Game 1. Shooting an inefficient 2 out of 8 from the field, the Royals badly need Escoto’s production if they are to compete against Basilan.

In game 1 the Royals came out flat to start the game and were unable to score until midway through the first quarter. From then on it was an uphill battle as Basilan had built up a double-digit lead.

Aside from Parker, Iloilo’s guard play has been lacking especially from the perimeter. It’s up to Donald Gumaru and Team Captain Aaron Jeruta to give their team a lift if they want to force a game 3.

Basilan wore them down defensively and only limited them to five converted treys the whole game, one of the main reasons why they lost.

Also, Iloilo’s brand of basketball as a run-and-gun based system team became a non-factor in the first game forcing coach Eric Gonzales to make adjustments during the break.

Game 1 was a gut-punch to the rookie squad, hopefully the team recovers to force a deciding game 3.