Today’s Game: Luke (1) vs Matthew (4) Matthew completes upset, advances to the 1st PBA Finals GBBC, March 29, 2022. A much needed lift courtesy of guard Lunie Sebial pushes Matthew to the 1st PBA finals as their incredible run continues, ousting Luke and overcoming their twice to beat disadvantage. Matthew had won their last 2 encounters against Luke. The red team continues to search for answers to the puzzle that is this Matthew squad. Now finally the table has been set with two veteran teams fighting for a chance to compete for the championship. Amidst the balloon wielding fans clad with stainless steel of the green team, Matthew looks to complete their comeback. Luke would like to push a different story as they try once again to punch their ticket to the finals while cheered by their own raucous crowd. Matthew immediately showed that they are men on a mission. They jumped to an early 10-1 lead as Luke was reeling offensively. The Matthew defense tightened very early as they suffocated the offensive plays of Luke forcing them to take tough shots. Fortunately for the red team, spitfire guard Lloyd Duga-duga went to work early as he scored 2 consecutive three point shots to trim the lead, 12-8. Matthew continued to be steady as they found other ways to score to keep Luke at a distance much to the delight of their roaring fans. Luke superstar Mario Gayeta came to life as he always did. He went on an offensive tear as he anchored his team closer. He hit consecutive mid range jumpers to tie the game at the halfway point of the first half bringing us our first deadlock. From that point on, Luke coasted offensively to take the lead while their own crowd displayed the same intensity. Luke’s defense was also instrumental as they limited top scorer Aaron Roblo to 6 points in the first half with quick double teams and hard box outs. To counter this development, Matthew turned to their shifty guard Lunie Sebial who turned out to be a big spark off the bench. He managed to penetrate the defense and score on layups with one particular circus layup producing cheers and awes from both sides of the aisle. Luke finished the first half with a 28-22 lead, led by the 13 points of Gayeta. Duga-duga added 11 for his team. Sebial top scored Matthew with 8 points. The Tank Vic Lardizabal and forward Jeff Alquizar each contributed 4 points for the green team. The second half began with another flurry from Matthew. They quickly made sure to close the gap as Roblo battled the tough Luke defense to score on quick stabs in the basket. Not long after, we arrived at the 2nd deadlock of the game at 34 apiece. Luke kept pace with their efficient offense spearheaded by Gayeta and Duga-duga. A nip and tuck game continued in the following minutes as both teams traded baskets. It was evident how much the chance to compete in the championship means for both teams. Luke found some scoring outside of their duo as versatile forward Bay Gayeta added some timely baskets inside to keep them in the game. As the defense of Luke focused on the other team’s main guns, the offense of Matthew shifted to Sebial and Alquizar. Sebial continued his torrid offense as his drives were more crisp and controlled. He found himself scoring at every turn and going to the line as Luke was forced to foul him. With Matthew holding a 2 point lead with less than 7 minutes remaining, a big 3 point shot was banked in by guard Honorio Gayeta from the left wing to increase their separation by 5 points. This was immediately followed by an inside basket from Roblo. The 7 point lead by Matthew was a luxury at this point of the game. Luke kept on battling back but offensive inconsistencies and miscommunication on defense prevented them from staging a run to flip the momentum. Two notable defensive miscues featured two wide open layups from Sebial and Alquizar from the right wing. Luke finally settled to foul Sebial and test his free throw shooting. Sebial had back to back empty trips on the line but the red team failed to take advantage on the other end. Sebial punctuated Matthew's win with his signature leg sweep and a buzzer beater 3 point shot to finish with a game high 26 points. This was the most points he scored since his 22 from their very first game last February 5 against Luke. Roblo played second fiddle as he contributed 24 points. Roblo and Sebial both scored 18 points in the 2nd half to combine for 36 of their team’s 47 second half points. The Tank and Alquizar added 7 each to amplify Matthew's solid win. Luke was top-scored by Gayeta with 24. Duga-duga chipped in 23 for the red team. Bay Gayeta lifted some offensive weight and contributed 13 points. Luke can keep their head high as they had a terrific season garnering first place in the standings while boasting an MVP worthy season from their captain Mario Gayeta. They have a chance to place 3rd as they battle Mark in a best of 3 series. On the other hand, the saga continues for Matthew as they find themselves opposite John for the prestigious title of inaugural champions of the Pastor Boy Aguinaldo basketball tournament. Scores: Half scores: 22-28, 69-60 Matthew 69 - 26 Lunie Sebial, 24 Aaron Roblo, 7 Vic Lardizabal, 7 Jeff Alquizar, 3 Honorio Gayeta, 2 Kyle Lardizabal, 0 Jun Adille Luke 60 - 24 Mario Gayeta, 23 Lloyd Duga-duga, 13 Bay Gayeta, 0 John Paul Caramoan, 0 Romel Galara, 0 Gabriel Tanyag, 0 Mariano Gayeta, 0 PJ Gayeta, 0 Ben Gayeta All Star Festivities
We take a quick break as the All Star festivities begin. The 1st PBA All Star would feature the following events: 3 Point Shootout All Star Game The All Star game would feature the 4 best players from each team. And we got a good one as Matthew teams up with Mark to play the forged team of Luke and John. The All Star events would kick off on April 12, 2022 at GBBC. Rubber match game implications Matthew continues their incredible run with a date with John in the 1st PBA Finals in a best of three series. Luke and Mark will battle for 3rd place in another best of three series. Both playoff matchups will start on a soon to be announced date at GBBC. Games start at 7 PM every Tuesday. Make Way For Our Volleybelles The ladies are now ready to show their heart and hustle. The competition is sure to heat up as quickly as the summer season. Strong serves, great receptions and unwavering spirits are what we should expect and more as our GBBC ladies battle it out to attain volleyball supremacy. The 1st GBBC women's volleyball tournament is coming our way this Saturday, April 2, 2022 at GBBC. Opening ceremony starts at 4:30 PM. Who's got game? /written by: Kevin Sanchez /photos by: Chloe Aguinaldo
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