The Columbian Dyip proved that they are a force to be reckoned with after getting past 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup defending champions the San Miguel Beermen in their first face-off in the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup last Sunday, June 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The score finished at 134-132, with import Lester Prosper elevating the team to a 2-6 win-loss standing and cutting off their three-game losing streak as he contributed 40 points and 13 rebounds. Rookie CJ Perez didn’t fall too short after, totalling 34 points, while Rashawn McCarthy performed with a double-double of 27 points and 14 assists as he faced his former teammates from the Beermen. Former National University (NU) Bulldog Glenn Khobutin contributed eight points, three of these being from a crucial shot beyond the arc at the last 42.4 seconds of overtime.
Yet, despite Columbian leading the entire match, the Beermen still rallied with their opponents as import Charles Rhodes scored 26 points and had 16 boards. Big man June Mar Fajardo also had a double-double at 24 points and 15 rebounds. Marcio Lassiter, Arwind Santos, Von Pessumal, and Alex Cabagnot scored double-digits as well, contributing 19, 16, 15, and 12 points respectively in the Beermen’s second loss in a row. They now stand with two wins and five losses.
Columbian head coach Johnedel Cardel “gives credits to the players, even though [they] were losing three straight,” he shared, “At least we’re still in there. Going into the San Miguel game, this is a champion team. I told them, ‘If we play together, we play patient in our offense, if we play hard on defense, nothing is impossible.’”
Filipino-American McCarthy also proved that this win proves his teammates “can compete at this level,” sharing, “We just got to be patient and trust each other more on the court and continue to learn and build.” He added, “We just want to build some momentum even though it’s a tough road for us to get into the playoffs. I think we can build off this win.”
Columbian will soon get another chance to snatch another win against Northport Batang Pier next Wednesday, July 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, while San Miguel is facing the NLEX Road Warriors on Friday, July 5 at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.