The DUB League Volume 3.0 Week 3 was one for the books. There were a lot of surprises in throughout the day. There were also heated exchanges between players. Top rated teams got beat surprisingly.
All is still good somehow in the DUB Land and we are looking forward to Week 4.
The Good
Astig Boys finally won their first game against the once invincible Kuya Cats. The entire team dug deep and relied on their savvy veteran Aldrin Acuna to bring the win home with a roaring 7 to nothing run to close the game in the final period. Noel Bagalso was also sensational with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in an all-around effort that kept the Kuya Cats on their heels the entire game.
Team Pogi also notched another win against the younger Underdogs team led by Michael Humphrey’s 19 points. But, it was CJ Pineda’s penetration and missed free throws ultimately sealed the game for Team Pogi. Nilo Concepcion also found his younger form as he tallied 8 points where 4 of those came from a fastbreak field goal or free throw.
Senior Citizens also finally found another weapon in Lito Matildo and Orlando Glory who had 8 points and 18 points, respectively. Lito who had been shooting hot in multiple leagues had been quietly hit his 3 pointers in a timely manner. Orlando Glory showed his younger form last weekend as he finally found his range and rhythm. Bhon Filomeno hit the timely 3 pointer to seal the game for the Grumpy Old Men. Juan Gutierrez needs no explanation and accolades.
Kambing Inc continued to roll after Week 3. Who can defeat them? The team had been on a 3 game winning streak. It was a brutal game where the top teams fought tooth and nail until the goats finally came out victorious led by Kambing Bros Jeff Duria and Ronnie Tallud. But, the main guy who set the tone on the second half was James Bandolon who bulldozed the Barakos.
The Bad
Much had been said about the young core of The Underdogs. However, they had been hit by a bug lately. Aldwin Brotonel suffered an apparent ankle injury while playing pickup basketball. Kyle Aguirre had not been able to show up last weekend. Additionally, Al Bae disappered in the second half tallying zero points after a scorching first half.
The Barakos also fell on this category as they were defeated by Kambing Inc in a sensational manner. They can’t seem to find the focal point of their offense. In spite of their youth and athleticism, they lacked sized and were bullied by the linebacker in James Bandolon. The bright spot, however, was Yoneo Gamalinda who garnered 14 points while Mico Mercado disappeared in the offense after a sensational Week 1.
The Ugly
It was really hard for me to put this team in this category. In my mind, they played really well against the Senior Citizens and almost beat team with 4 people. However, teams cannot beat Juan even with a complete lineup. CK Arcilla and Richard Osay exploded with their best games of the season with 25 points and 20 points, respectively. It was a very admirable attempt on behalf of the team. The outcome may had been different if it they had another person or two to support the 4 players.
Kuya Cats showed a kink in their armor last weekend in their lost to the Astig Boys. In spite of their advantage on paper, they were not able to capitalize it against the Astig Boys who were missing their young stud in Aldrich Acuna. Frankie was unstoppable in the paint and was a very good decoy in many plays finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. The problem, however, may be the lack of cohesion within the team and the roles that they need to play in order to function like a well oiled machine. Don’t count ’em out though. They are still the team to beat and it will be so until the season ends in November.
Officiating was also somewhat spotty but overall majority of the teams were satisfied with it. They were pulled into the league last minute as our scheduled officials canceled out last minute. I will say, however, that I might bring them back in some form in the future.