The roar of the predominantly Antipolo crowd swelled with renewed aggression as the third quarter whistle sliced through the charged atmosphere of Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The players of Dasmariñas National High returned to the court, but it was a reshuffled five, a tactical adjustment designed to inject fresh energy and counter Antipolo's size and rhythm.
On the bench, Tristan, Marco, and the other starters toweled off, their chests still heaving. Their eyes were glued to the court, their focus as intense as if they were still in the game.
Coach Gutierrez stood firmly on the sideline, clipboard pressed against his chest. His eyes flickered between his energized new unit and the overwhelming sea of blue in the stands.
He was sending his second wave into the fray. "Mark, your job is pace! Push the ball on every rebound and don't let their bigs set their defense!" he commanded. "John, you're our release valve on the wing. Be ready to fire. Daewoo, find your spot at the elbow and create. Gab, Felix! Your only job is to make the Dela Cruz twins hate their lives for the next eight minutes. No easy touches, no easy boards! Go!"
The players nodded, their expressions a mixture of concentration and determination. They were ready to answer the call.
Dasmariñas Lineup:
Mark Herras — Point Guard (Fresh, agile, and a natural passer)
John Manalo — Shooting Guard (A sharp and confident pure shooter)
Daewoo Kim — Small Forward (A versatile scorer with a silky midrange game)
Gab Lagman — Power Forward (An intense, blue-collar defender)
Felix Tan — Center (Steady, strong, and fundamentally sound)
Antipolo High, confident in their starters, maintained their fierce lineup, aiming to wear down their opponents.
Felix stood poised as the referee handed him the ball for the inbound. He slapped the ball, and Mark Herras darted to receive it.
Ed Ramos, Antipolo's guard, met him with a smirk. "Fresh meat," Ramos muttered, getting into a low defensive stance.
Mark didn't respond. He paddled the ball forward, his movements quick and decisive.
He used a sharp in-and-out dribble that made Ramos hesitate for a fraction of a second—all the time he needed. "John, wing right!" Mark shouted, his voice calm amidst the noise. "Daewoo, screen left! Gab, pin down on their post!"
Exploding past Ramos, Mark drew a second defender. He didn't panic. Spotting John maneuvering off a screen from Felix, Mark whipped a precise bounce pass that zipped through the closing gap, breaking the defensive line.
The ball hit John perfectly in his shooting pocket. Without a moment's hesitation, John rose up, his form a picture of practiced perfection. He launched a crisp three-pointer that arced beautifully through the air.
Swish.
The net barely moved.
The Antipolo crowd fell silent for a beat.
Score: Dasmariñas 27 — Antipolo 21
On the bench, Tristan nodded approvingly. "Good decision, Mark. Quick and smart."
Antipolo tried to answer, feeding the ball into their big man, Robert Dela Cruz. But Gab Lagman was all over him, denying the entry pass with relentless physicality. The pass sailed out of bounds. Dasmariñas ball.
Mark brought it up again, this time finding Daewoo Kim just beyond the free-throw line.
Daewoo caught the ball, his eyes sharp. He faced up against Sam Lopez, giving him a series of deceptive jab steps. He took one hard dribble toward the lane, forcing Lopez to retreat, then gracefully stepped back, creating a sliver of space. He rose, launching his signature fadeaway jumper.
The ball left his fingertips with a perfect release, gliding over Lopez's outstretched hands and nestling softly into the net.
"That's how you create space, Woo!" Gab yelled, slapping his teammate's back as they ran back on defense. Daewoo just smiled, a quiet confidence radiating from him.
The next few possessions became the Gab Lagman show. He took on the assignment of guarding Robert Dela Cruz with an unyielding ferocity that seemed to infuriate the Antipolo star. He read a pass intended for Robert, jumping the lane and smacking the ball with both hands. He immediately started a fast break, funneling a quick outlet pass ahead to Mark.
Two plays later, Allan Dela Cruz received the ball in the low post, backing down Felix. He spun for what he thought was an open hook shot, but Gab came from the weak side, launching himself into the air.
THWACK!
He blocked the shot cleanly, the sound echoing through the arena. The crowd gasped, and the small contingent of green-clad Dasmariñas fans erupted. Mark's passing continued to dazzle.
He was a conductor orchestrating crisp, fluid ball movement. He found Daewoo cutting hard for a rapid-fire midrange jumper. In the very next sequence, Felix set a bone-jarring screen on Ed Ramos. Mark ducked under the defender and dished to a wide-open John, who calmly set his feet.
Another three-pointer dropped straight through the net.
Score: Dasmariñas 33 — Antipolo 26
The Antipolo coach furiously called a timeout, screaming at his players as they reached the bench. "Wake up! They're running circles around you! Rebound the ball!" The timeout worked.
Antipolo came out with renewed fire. CJ Morales hit a tough, contested jumper over John. Sam Lopez powered his way to the rim for a difficult layup. Then, Robert Dela Cruz finally got the better of Gab, muscling his way to an offensive rebound and a strong putback layup, drawing a foul in the process. He sank the free throw.
Score: Dasmariñas 33 — Antipolo 31
During a brief pause for the free throw, Mark huddled his unit. "Okay, they're tightening up on the perimeter," Mark said, his breathing controlled. "John, they're running you off the line. Look for the one-dribble pull-up.
Daewoo, I need you at the high post; you can create from there. Gab, stay on your feet. Make him score through you, no easy fouls."
"Got it," Gab grunted, wiping his face. "He won't get another 'and-one'." The game became a tense, back-and-forth affair.
Daewoo glided through inside-out dribbles and pull-up jumpers, his fadeaway becoming an unstoppable signature move.
John's sharpshooting rattled the net again from midrange, proving he was more than just a three-point threat. And Mark's vision continued to pick apart the Antipolo defense with passes that threaded impossible angles.
"Keep moving! Fight for every inch!" Coach Gutierrez roared from the sidelines. With under two minutes left in the quarter, Gab wrestled Robert fiercely for a rebound, tipping the ball out to Mark. Mark accelerated, a blur in transition. He weaved through two defenders before hitting Daewoo on the wing for another killer fadeaway shot.
Score: Dasmariñas 41 — Antipolo 35
Antipolo answered swiftly. A powerful basket from Allan in the paint and a clutch three from CJ Morales cut the lead to a single point.
Score: Dasmariñas 41 — Antipolo 40
The final seconds ticked away. Mark had the ball at the top of the key. He signaled the play. Felix came up to set a screen. John curled around it, catching the pass from Mark with just two seconds on the clock. He didn't have time to think. He rose, a defender's hand flying at his face, and released the ball. The buzzer sounded as the ball was in mid-air. The entire stadium held its breath.
Swish.
Panting but smiling, the unit gathered by Coach Gutierrez as the horn confirmed the end of the third. "Strong quarter! That's what I'm talking about!" the coach praised, clapping Gab hard on the back. "Fresh legs and fiery hearts. You changed the energy of this game. Keep this focus—our fight is not over."
"This unit's got chemistry, Coach," Mark said, sharing a look with his teammates. "We can build on this."
Daewoo grinned, "Midrange is my office. I'm just putting in work."
John gave a nod to his center. "Great screen, big man. That shot was all you, Felix."
Tristan, watching from the bench, unclenched the fists he didn't realize he'd been holding.
A look of profound pride was on his face. This team... he thought. We're not just five players on the court. We are a whole system. Everyone has a role, and everyone executes. This is how champions fight. Now... it's our turn to finish it.
The roar of the crowd surged anew, a mix of frustration and anticipation, as the teams prepared for the final, decisive quarter.