After losing his first-ever game to Valenzuela, Zamboanga star Alvin Pasaol vowed revenge once he got the chance. And he picked the perfect moment for that.
Back in June 26, Pasaol — who was then playing for Bataan — suffered a heartbreaker to the Classic and their fans.
“Sobrang saludo ako sa crowd ng Valenzuela. Sa lahat ng nalaruan ko, sila ‘yung pinaka-wildest crowd ever kasi nung sa Bataan [pa] ako, natalo din kami sa home court nila,” said Pasaol, pointing out Bataan’s overtime collapse against Valenzuela, 86-92, at the Valenzuela Astrodome.
This time around, the venue of the game was at the smaller Bahayang Pag-asa Gym. Still, the crowd as just as wild.
And Pasaol, who is now playing for the Family’s Brand Sardines-owned Zamboanga, was ready.
The burly 6-foot-4 forward unleashed one of his best offensive outings in the league in front of a wild Valenzuela crowd. The Chooks-to-Go 3×3 star dropped 13 points in the first half alone, helping his team build a 10-point cushion, 45-35, entering the second half.
Zamboanga’s lead then ballooned to as much as 19 points in the fourth quarter, even with Pasaol already on the bench.
Valenzuela, though, had one last fight in them. Sparked by a roaring crowd rallying the team, Jason Varilla drained a three-pointer which ignited a 9-0 run, cutting the 19-point lead down to 11.
But Pasaol, who had been brilliant all game long, made sure to shut down some of the fiercest fans in the league.
The former UE star went back in the game with less than four minutes left, then scored four consecutive points to completely shut the doors on the home squad.
Pasaol led Zamboanga with 24 points, nine rebounds, and four assists en route to an 85-78 win over Valenzuela. He also steered his squad to a 16-10 standing in the Southern Division to remain in seventh place.
“Sobrang importante sa amin ng laro na ‘to kasi naghahabol nga kami, kasi ayaw nga naming mapunta sa eight at seventh spot kasi mahihirapan kami sa kabilang teams na nasa number one saka number two. So sobrang laki ng naitulong ng game na ito,” said Pasaol after the victory.
In other games, the Mark Cruz-led Pampanga remained in the top five of the north after fening off Pasay, 75-65, while Mark Yee kept Davao Occidental-Cocolife at the top of the south with a tight 75-71 win over Pasig-Sta Lucia.
Story by Jonash Dannug
Photo by Angela Davocol
