PRIMEHOMES ARE FOR REAL AFTER THREE STRAIGHT WINS

Taking on a former champion, Primehomes solidified its contention in the Corporate Recreational Division after beating Factset, 76-69, to keep an unscathed record in the KOTC / STR8 Philippines 2019 Invitational.

A close encounter down the stretch, Primehomes refused to let go of the upper position since finishing the first quarter with a 12-4 run. However, Factset showed heart of a champion as they gave Primehomes a scare before falling in the crucial period and bowed to the undefeated team.

Ruel Pelicano led the way to Primehomes' third consecutive win with 12 points and eight steals, alongside six rebounds and four assists. Three others ended up in double figures, showing a collective effort on both ends. Eloy Bello and Matthew Yeo chipped in 12 markers each, while Reghis Romero contributed 11 points.

Rein Gaitan used only a few seconds to introduce his offensive prowess by knocking down first attempt from beyond the arc. Erwin Guevarras and Erlan Oliva also stepped up for Factset, but Primehomes started to be in control of the game in the latter minutes of the opening frame as they poured a 12-4 swing to get the advantage, 19-14.

Completing their setup plays, Factset evened the scores in the seven-minute mark of the second quarter, 27-all. However, Primehomes answered back with a short rally and eventually closed out the first half ahead by four, 37-33.

Primehomes commenced the third period with major defensive adjustments, forcing the opponents to take low percentage shots while putting the same intensity in the offensive end to get their highest lead at 13 points, 47-34. But behind Gaitan's sudden offensive explosion, Factset has almost ended the third trailing only by a possession until Bello sank a trey from the corner to give Primehomes a six-point margin, 58-52.

Bello remained with hot hands after drilling another triple to open the final canto as Yeo connected with his own three-pointer and Edjames Larion completed a fastbreak attack to bring Primehomes' lead back to double figures, 66-54. Unfortunately, Factset did not give up easily as they responded with nine unanswered points to make it a three-point game, plus getting Pelicano's fourth personal foul. Yeo unleashed a cold-blooded trey to end Primehomes' drought and Romero followed up with back-to-back baskets that sealed their victory.

Gaitan and Guevarras tallied double-double performances to power Factset; 23 points and 10 rebounds, and 17 points and 10 rebounds, respectively. Oliva added 14 markers.

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