Buenas Bingo has Tridents' number in Ballhers Summer League barnburner

With a balanced scoring attack and tremendous hustle on the offensive glass, Buenas Bingo upended the University of Guam Tridents 57-48 in Wednesday night's Ballhers Summer League 2022 game at the UOG Calvo Field House. Leading Buenas Bingo's offensive effort, Florence Cunanan scored a team-high 12 points. Not far off Cunanan's pace, Jerome Delos Santos and Francis Valencia each scored 11 points. Rounding out Bingo's four double-digit scorers, Alvin Bautista dropped in 10 points. 'Our chemistry is really good right now,' said Cunanan, a member of Okkodo High School's 2009 inaugural graduating class. Cunanan, expecting the birth of his third child on Friday, told The Guam Daily Post that he wasn't planning on playing, but his wife gave him a free pass. Although his growing family consumed his thoughts, Cunanan came ready to play. 'Once you step on the court, it's all about the game,' he said. Although it appeared the match was going to be a runaway and the Tridents trailed by as many as 17 points, the UOG squad overcame the deficit and shot their way back into the contest.In the first 20-minute half, second-chance points slowed the Tridents' effort. Although Tristan Valdes and Daryl Robles had significant height advantages over the smaller Bingo squad, second- and third-chance efforts helped the early onslaught. As Bingo began to pull away, a pair of 3-pointers from Cisco Uncangco reeled them in. Uncangco, who provided the Tridents' spark early on and through the late stages of the second half, finished with a game-high 15 points. Valdes, the Tridents' No. 2 scoring option, finished with 11 points. Late in the first half, cutting the lead to only six points, Uncangco banked in a 3-pointer. After a slow start and a less-than-stellar defensive effort, Robles became a dominant force in the paint, swatting away shot attempts, altering Bingo's shots, and forcing the ball out of the key. At the half, the Tridents trailed 34-26 but were about to make a comeback. Turning a steal into a fast break bucket, then following with a layup and a 3-point shot, Uncangco's effort gave the Tridents their first lead, 42-38. After a 16-4 run, the Tridents had the momentum, but that was about to change. Later in the half, a steal from Alvin Bautista turned into an easy transition bucket. With only four minutes remaining, several Tridents' long-range shot attempts and turnovers allowed Bingo to reclaim the lead. 'The stronger we start, the stronger we finish,' Cunanan said. As time ticked away, Bingo shifted into a four-corner offense, chipping away precious time until the final buzzer sounded.
Courtesy of: postguam.com