Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

In awe of Valenzuela crowd, Alvin Pasaol makes sure to put on show


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.

#ReadMore  UE stuns Adamson for breakthrough win

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

Written By


You May Also Like

Basketball

Kyt Jimenez is now on the verge of realizing his dreams. The flamboyant 5-foot-11 guard has been activated by San Miguel ahead of its...

Basketball

GenSan weathered Batangas’ repeated assaults to secure a 61-55 victory on Saturday, forcing a Game 3 decider in their battle for the MPBL (Maharlika...

Basketball

Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines quelled San Juan’s final assault and prevailed, 80-66, on Saturday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season at...

Basketball

Allein Maliksi took over as Meralco thwarted Rain or Shine, 103-95, to end its PBA On Tour campaign on a high, Friday at the...

Basketball

Meralco’s Alvin Pasaol is slowly regaining his old deadly form, and his recent exploits for the Bolts in their win over NLEX in the...

Basketball

Alvin Pasaol caught fire on a rainy Wednesday night, leading Meralco to a 96-83 victory over NLEX in the 2023 PBA On Tour at...

Basketball

Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines turned hot and spicy in the fourth quarter and routed Rizal XentroMall, 74-57, on Saturday in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas...

Basketball

Nueva Ecija, led by Roi Sumang and Michael Juico, defeated Batangas City Embassy Chill, 68-56, in the OKBet-MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) Fifth Season...

Advertisement