The Numbers that Enabled San Juan to Hang On in Game 1

Considering that the last game between these two teams was a close one, the San Juan Knights, who are aiming to repeat as champions this year, knew that beating the Pasay Voyagers is no easy thing to do. And if you watched last night's game and happen to be a fan of the Knights, last night's game must be a roller coaster ride for you. Why?

For one, John Wilson was limited to 11 points on 3 for 8 field goal shooting but in the fourth quarter, he scored 10 points including the Knights' final 8 points to stave off an upset attempt by Pasay to take the 75-74 win and the 1-0 lead in the best of three quarterfinal series. It could have been worse considering the fact that Axel Inigo exploded for 24 big points on 4 for 5 three-point shooting and 10 for 13 free-throw shooting. So, what went right for the Knights last night?

Defense on Dhon Reverente

Dhon Reverente, coming into last night's game, was averaging a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. But in Game 1 against the defending champs, Reverente was limited to 8 points on 3 for 6 shooting from the field. He did grab 11 rebounds but it wasn't enough. Reverente's numbers in last night's game was a far cry from his 26-point and 16-rebound outing against San Juan last year which means San Juan knew that they had to keep an open eye on Reverente and try to limit his production. To credit the Knights, they actually did just that. And that allowed them to keep at bay.

Balanced Scoring

While Inigo led the Voyagers with 24 points, it wasn't enough as the next guy on Pasay's line up who scored in double figures was Elmar Moradas with 13 points while Jaypee Belecion added 11 points 

On the other hand, San Juan had 4 guys who scored in double digits and they were led by Mike Ayonayon's 15 points. Wilson and Larry Rodriquez added 11 points apiece and Jhonard Clarito scored 13 points off the bench.  The Knights' bench outscored the bench of Pasay, 30-28.

The Important Things

The Knights weathered an upset attempt by outscoring Pasay in the final quarter, 22-14. They shot better from the two-point area at 57% to compensate their horrible 5 for 24 three-point shooting. They were +9 in the rebounds and +6 in the assists. But more importantly, they kept their composure up even after the Voyagers went up by 14 points. And that's why they are the defending champions. 

Photo is from Tiebreaker Times