Dumlao Thursday erases 18-point deficit to stun Elivon in Inter-Pick Up opening

Too much excitement playing on a debut game usually causes poor start, but Dumlao Thursday shrugged off the rusts and found their rhythm down the stretch to draw first blood in the Inter-Pick Up Division of KOTC Invitational.

 Dumlao Thursday stormed in the second half to overcome an 18-point deficit and slay the defiant young core of Elivon, 68-66, held at Dumlao Gym in Mandaluyong City.

After going scoreless in the first half, Issei Sugiyama came alive in the last two periods by scoring 14 points, 13 in the third quarter, and orchestrating the offense. He also ended up with nine rebounds, seven assists, and five steals.

Ronaldo Galon contributed a double-double effort of 18 markers and 12 boards, while Louis John Ranosa gathered 14 points to help Dumlao Thursday.

Elivon has shown terrific first half performance as they proved that they can go up against bigger opponents and not giving Dumlao Thursday a chance to taste the precarious lead.

They even stretched the deficit to the biggest lead of the game at 18 points in the 5:45 mark of the third quarter until Sugiyama stole the show and sparked Dumlao's fightback, finishing the quarter with a massive 15-2 outburst to only trail by fiveh heading to the final frame, 49-44.

 John Bryan Jemina hit long range shots to put Elivon ahead by nine points, but Dumlao already realized their size advantage as their big men bullied their way inside the shaded area to answer an 11-nothing run and officially steal the lead, 56-54, with 5:36 left.

With both teams showing their eagerness to get the first victory, they traded crucial baskets down to the last minute. However, Sugiyama's return coming from an ankle sprain he sustained earlier in the fourth quarter changed the story as his entry inflicted winning mentality to his team. Galon, Franco See, and Carlo Cayamanda had split charities, and those were enough to give Dumlao the victory.

Nicko Abad was impressjve for Elivon as he chipped in a game-high of 21 points. Jemina helped with 13 markers, Charles Forca tallied 11, and Mark Anthony Gabon got 10 points. GR Rausa collected 12 rebounds.

***

For your complete player experience, and all game results, check out the links available below:

Official Facebook (Photos and Game Recaps): 
http://bit.ly/2YPQeDm

Official Website (News Feed, Box Scores, League Leaders, Team/Player Stats): 
https://bit.ly/2ECXAlX - Dropdown Leagues, choose selected league 
http://bit.ly/2X7RhhN - Direct Link

Official YouTube (Game Highlights and Features): 
http://bit.ly/2T7G020

Official Instagram (Up to Date News) 
http://bit.ly/2VUYGzk