Team Chemistry is a big factor in making a solid team and the defending NAASCU Juniors champions Informatics Junior Icons showed that as they won against one of the new kids of the NAASCU Juniors, the STI College Junior Olympians 56-51 at the University of Manila Gym. It was a sorry loss for the Junior Olympians who rallied from 12 points down to within 1 point 52-51 with a minute left in the game but ran out of steam in the homestretch.
The Icons started hot as they converted on several fastbreaks after forcing the Junior Olympians to commit 13 first quarter turnovers that the Icons converted to fastbreak points. The Junior Olympians had a hard time attacking the full court pressure defense of the Junior Icons as the Olympian five of Ivan Moreno, Jason Intong, Axel Nolasco, Eric Sanchez and Paul Sabacahan seemed lost after the Junior Icons breezed past the Olympians with a 20-8 first quarter lead.
Mark Dulalia scores off the dribble
The Junior Olympians came back as their half court defense forced their counterparts to take poor shots that enabled the Olympians to get back. Ivan Moreno, Mark Dulalia and Eric Sanchez combined to drop a 12-4 bomb capped by the three pointer by Sanchez that suddenly cut the Junior Icons lead to 1, 52-51 with 30 seconds left. Unfortunately, their unfamiliarity showed as the Junior Olympians were forced to two more turnovers that the Icons converted to four points that put the game beyond recall and send the Junior Olympians packing.
Eric Sanchez twists and scores
It was a bitter pill to swallow since the Olympians shot 7 of 21 from the line and had 35 turnovers. In the last play of the game, the Icons were lucky to get away with a technical foul as they unknowingly fielded in six players. Unfortunately for the Junior Olympians, the three erring referees did not even notice it and there was no penalty whatsoever. Next stop, the University of Makati Junior Herons.
Paul Sabacahan hangs in mid air
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