Newly-wed Cliff Hodge celebrates honeymoon with Meralco

Ball is life indeed for Cliff Hodge

The 29-year-old had just gotten married with his long-time girlfriend Beatrice Yao this past Tuesday. Hodge could have taken the week off to go out and celebrate this new chapter of his life, but he simply decided not to.

Instead, he was with the Meralco Bolts at the Philippine Arena the day after his wedding, to help his team in Game Six of the 2017 Governors’ Cup Finals, where they forced a winner-take-all bout against the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

“With the PBA’s schedule, you never know what you’re gonna be on. We actually planned this (wedding) like six or seven months in advance, hoping that the season would be already over,” he explained of the unusual wedding date, “But it obviously fell the day before the game.

“Of course I’m not gonna leave my wife, so we got married,” added the Pensacola, Florida-born cager, who had proposed to his now-wife in Italy last February during their quick vacation.

Hodge’s ultimate sacrifice did not go into waste. The Bolts disappointed the 50,000-plus Ginebra faithful inside the massive arena as they came out victorious, 98-91, to extend the series to a deciding Game Seven on Friday.

“The team was inspired just to get to Game Seven,” shared the stretch forward, who finished with six points, four rebounds, and a steal.

“We kinda have, at least, a chance to win a championship. We’re all inspired.”

Now that the series goes to the edge, and with the Orangemen aiming to upend their tormentors and win their first-ever PBA title, the five-year pro is also keen on wearing a championship ring next to his wedding ring.

“Oh my God. That would be amazing.”