10th Infantry “Agila” Division, Philippine Army blows Police Regional Office 11 (PRO11) out of the AFP-PNP Invitational Basketball Tournament finals contention after a 79-75 win on Monday, February 27, 2023, held at the Davao City Recreation Center.
In the first quarter, Agila Division’s full-court press and tenacity stops the flow of offense for PRO11, resulting in multiple stops and points conversion for 10ID, 13-8. Meanwhile, in the 2nd, PRO11’s back court attacks the basket to tally 6 points in the paint, however, 10ID’s mid-range game from SSg Donie Paragoso continues to fall for 10ID.
10ID’s board dominance and tight zone defense in the 3rd forces PRO11 to take a low percentage and highly contested outside jumpers. However, on the other end, PRO11 continue to fish for fouls under the basket with their bigs attacking the rim. Entering the final period, Army Captain Mark Anthony Tito’s back-to-back three pulls the 10ID to a commanding 70-51 lead with 7:22 in the clock.
After a hard-fought and physical 6 mins in the 4th, with 41 seconds left in the clock, PRO11 cuts the lead to two with a driving layup. But SSg Donie Paragoso’s steal and a put-back with 16 seconds left seals the deal for 10ID, SSg Paragoso was also named the best player of the game with 14 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists. On March 3, 10ID is set to face the Davao City Mayor’s Office in a best-of-three series at 3:00 PM at Almendras Gym. Christian Mark Lim
