As usual, CJ Perez pulled through for the Zark’s-Lyceum Jawbreakers in Game One of their 2018 D-League Aspirants’ Cup semifinals against the Marinerong Pilipino Skippers, taking over late in the fourth to send the game into overtime
But it was the feisty Marcelino Twins — Jaycee and Jayvee — who delivered the final blows.
The twins, when Perez could not get himself going anymore, conspired for five of the team’s nine points in the extra period and helped the Jawbreakers bag home the 90-87 victory — the franchise’s first-ever semis win.
“Iniisip ko lang, may oras pa naman eh. Ba’t ka susuko agad, ‘di ba?,” said Jaycee, who was Zark’s-Lyceum’s high-point man with 20 points alongside three rebounds and three steals.
“Keep playing lang — laro lang hangga’t may oras.”
Wiping out huge deficits en route to victories has been part of Zark’s-Lyceum’s identity in the D-League. And Game One wasn’t something new for them, as they had to claw their way up from a deep 16-point hole.
“Parang nung nangyari lang nung nakaraan, yung kalaban namin CEU, ganun din,” Jayvee shared, recalling their quarterfinal rubber match versus CEU Scorpions where they erased an 11-point deficit for an 82-77 win.
“Humabol lang kami. Siyempre nagtulungan din kaming lahat, ‘di naman kaming dalawa lang. Pati yung nasa bench naman sumusuporta sa’min para makabawi kami kahit nakakaiscore sila,” added Jayvee, who had 10 points.
“Basta ‘di kami susuko habang may oras.”
The Jawbreakers are now a game away from entering the Finals, and Jayvee did not hide their desires of getting Game Two this Thursday, stressing that they could not afford to lose as momentum will swing to the veteran-laden Skippers.
“Mas magpupursige pa kami,” he said. “Double effort kami para makuha na namin, kasi kung matalo kami mas mahihirapan kami kasi beterano sila.”
“Pagpupursigihan talaga namin para makuha yung second game,” Jaycee closed.
