The air during the second quarter break was thick with purpose. The shock of the 7-0 opening run was gone, replaced by the grim determination forged in the dying minutes of the first. When Coach Gutierrez dismissed them, Daewoo Kim—the pure-blooded South Korean who played with the fierce heart of a street-baller—didn't look back at the bench.
He didn't look at the crowd. His eyes were locked on the opposite end of the court, scanning the yellow jerseys of the Calapan High team as they warmed up.
No more slow transitions. No more hesitation.
He was done listening to the perfectionist whisper of failure. He was only listening to the furious pulse of his own heart.
The starting five returned: Tristan Herrera, Marco Gumaba, Daewoo Kim, Cedrick Estrella, and Ian Veneracion.
The scoreboard glared down at them, a red reminder of the precarious score: Dasmariñas 18 — Calapan 19.
The referee handed the ball to Calapan to start the quarter. Tom Ledesma, already responsible for five points and three assists, brought the ball up, his face smug with the confidence of a lead.
Calapan immediately ran their signature motion. Reyes (#30, the stretch five) sprinted to the corner, pulling Ian out of the paint. The floor was wide open. Tristan yelled, "Ian, stay! Stay with him!" His voice was a whip-crack that cut through the arena noise.
Gerry Ledesma (#22) tried to use the vacated space for a hard backdoor cut. But this time, Cedrick was ready. He left his man, Borja, just for a crucial, split-second, stuffing the passing lane with his long arm.
The pass was forced high, and Gerry had to leap to save it, disrupting the flow. The possession ended with Borja having to settle for a contested step-back three from the wing over Cedrick.
It missed everything. A loud, desperate clank off the side of the rim.
Ian, his large body surprisingly agile, secured the defensive rebound—a two-handed grab that symbolized the defensive commitment. He immediately looked up and threw a sharp, chest-high outlet pass to Tristan.
"Slow down! Set it up!" Coach G commanded.
Tristan held the ball at the timeline, allowing his teammates to settle into the "Horn Flex" set play—a reliable action designed to utilize their size while forcing Calapan's small defense to make tough decisions.
Cedrick and Ian set screens at the elbows. Tristan dribbled left, Marco flared right. Marco received the hand-off from Ian, and instead of taking the deep three, he saw that Tom Ledesma had gone under the screen. Marco took one hard power-dribble to his right, setting up a pull-up, mid-range jumper.
It was the least efficient shot in basketball, but Marco drilled it with ice in his veins.
Score: Dasmariñas 20 — Calapan 19
The Dasmariñas National High had the lead.
The Calapan crowd was stunned into a temporary silence.
Calapan pushed the pace, trying to regain momentum. They ran their motion again, but Dasmariñas' defensive dialogue was flawless.
"Left! Left screen!" Ian shouted, pointing to Reyes pulling out.
"I'm through!" Daewoo barked, fighting to stay glued to his man, Riel Mercado.
Tom Ledesma, facing Tristan, tried a hesitation move, but Tristan's feet were quicksand. Ledesma then attempted a tricky bounce pass to Mercado, who was cutting baseline. It was a pass born of frustration, not precision.
Daewoo, however, was already moving. He didn't just step into the passing lane; he dove, horizontally, his body parallel to the floor, extending his arm and tipping the ball. The ball squirted free!
Daewoo immediately scrambled to his feet, securing the steal. He didn't hesitate. He was in the open court, the ball suddenly feeling right in his hands. He pushed it hard, 2-on-1 against Reyes. Reyes, the center, knew he had to stop the ball. Daewoo charged straight at him, forcing Reyes to commit to the stop.
Daewoo then executed a swift, beautiful crossover that left Reyes flat-footed, and accelerated past him for an uncontested layup.
Score: Dasmariñas 22 — Calapan 19
The Dasmariñas National High bench erupted. Daewoo, who had been crushed by the airball minutes before, felt a physical wave of redemption wash over him. He had chosen the dog's path: effort over execution, and the reward was immediate and visceral.
"THAT'S THE DOG, WOO! THAT'S THE EFFORT!" Marco screamed, running up to slap Daewoo's hand as they transitioned back to defense.
Calapan Coach Riego immediately called a timeout. The 4-0 Dasmariñas run, fueled by the aggressive defense and Daewoo's transition score, had changed the emotional trajectory of the game.
During the timeout, Coach Riego's voice was audible from the Calapan huddle, crackling with irritation. "They are collapsing the paint! They are daring our small forward to shoot! We go back to the motion, but we run the Double Exit for Gerry! Force Kim to pay!"
When play resumed, Calapan's goal was clear: exploit Daewoo's one known weakness—his outside shot—by leaving him open and forcing him into an agonizing choice.
The Double Exit set play worked perfectly. Gerry Ledesma came off a double screen, and Daewoo's man, Riel Mercado, was used as a decoy cut. Daewoo's positioning was perfect, preventing Gerry from getting a clean look. The ball swung back to Tom Ledesma at the top.
Tom Ledesma looked at Daewoo, who was guarding Mercado near the free-throw line. Tom deliberately pump-faked a pass to Mercado, drawing Daewoo away. Reyes, the center, was standing wide-open in the deep corner. Tom passed it.
Reyes caught the ball. Ian, terrified of another three, lunged out to contest.
But Reyes, instead of shooting, drove hard into the paint—a lane that was now wide-open because Ian was playing perimeter defense. Cedrick, guarding Borja, rotated to cut off Reyes' drive.
Reyes then executed the pre-planned, second-level pass: a sharp kick-out to Daewoo Kim's corner, where Tom Ledesma had drifted, completely uncovered.
Tom Ledesma was standing exactly where Daewoo had airballed his previous attempt.
Daewoo, still recovering from his close-out, found himself staring across the court at the open Tom Ledesma, who was now raising up for the wide-open three-pointer—the shot that was supposed to kill Dasmariñas.
But Daewoo's internal clock had been reset. He wasn't thinking about percentages. He was thinking about effort. His feet exploded. He didn't wait for a clean pass. He sprinted, covering the 15 feet in three desperate strides, his right hand extended.
He arrived as Tom Ledesma was releasing the ball, his long fingers tipping the shot. It barely scraped the rim.
Ian rebounded and pitched it out to Tristan.
Tristan brought it up. Calapan's defense, rattled by the near-steal and the relentless pressure, was hesitant. Tristan saw the momentary confusion. He pointed to Daewoo in the corner.
"Marco, run the weave! Woo, stay home!"
Marco and Tristan ran a quick exchange at the top of the key. Marco curled off Ian's screen. Tristan kept the ball and drove hard toward the right elbow, forcing Borja and Tom Ledesma to commit to his drive.
Tristan pulled up, faking the mid-range jumper, and then, at the last moment, threw a hard cross-court pass to the left corner—the same exact spot where Daewoo had airballed earlier.
The pass was flawless. Daewoo caught it.
Gerry Ledesma, Daewoo's closest defender, hesitated. The scouting report was absolute: Daewoo Kim is a liability from the perimeter. Do not close out. Keep your eyes on the lane. Gerry took half a step, ready to contest a drive, but not the shot.
Daewoo looked at the basket. The memory of the airball flared—a hot, sharp wave of terror and shame. But it was immediately drowned out by the fierce, primal heart of the concrete courts.
You miss ten, you make the eleventh.
He didn't hesitate. He rose up—clean, precise form, a muscle memory honed by countless, lonely hours in the Dasmariñas gym—and released the ball.
The shot was high, tracing a beautiful arc toward the hoop. The silence in the arena was absolute, every single pair of eyes locked on the ball.
Swish.
The net barely moved. The three-pointer was pure.
Score: Dasmariñas 25 — Calapan 19
The noise from the Dasmariñas National High section was deafening. Marco leapt off the bench, pumping his fist. Daewoo let out a raw, guttural scream, pounding his own chest twice. He had just made his statement. He had just neutralized Calapan's primary defensive strategy.
Calapan's Coach Riego instantly called another timeout. He was screaming at Gerry Ledesma and Reyes. The message was clear: Daewoo Kim is no longer a liability. Guard him like a shooter.
When play resumed, the dynamics were completely reversed. Calapan could no longer leave the corner open.
Calapan tried to settle down. Tom Ledesma drove, but Tristan stayed in front. Tom kicked to Reyes on the wing. Reyes was forced to shoot a contested three over Ian.
It missed. Ian rebounded.
Tristan recognized the opportunity. Calapan's five-out defense was now stretched thin, forced to guard the entire perimeter. Tristan called for the "Pinch" post entry for Ian.
Marco cleared out. Tristan dribbled, forcing the defense to commit to his drive. Ian then flashed hard to the high post, setting a screen on Tom Ledesma.
Ian received the entry pass from Tristan at the free-throw line. Reyes, forced to guard Ian on the perimeter moments ago, was slow to react. Ian took two power dribbles into the paint, forcing Borja to leave Cedrick.
Ian, who was an adept passer, calmly kicked the ball out to a now wide-open Cedrick at the elbow. Cedrick hit the easy mid-range jumper.
Score: Dasmariñas 27 — Calapan 21
Calapan was visibly frustrated. They were being forced to compromise their principles.
They went back to the twins. Gerry Ledesma, trying to shake off Marco, managed to draw a foul on a desperate drive. He hit both free throws.
Score: Dasmariñas 27 — Calapan 23 (6:05)
Dasma Ball
Dasma countered by running a simple high pick-and-roll with Tristan and Ian. Reyes switched out onto Tristan. That was the opening. Tristan quickly passed to Ian, who immediately dumped the ball to Cedrick, who had established deep post position on the much-smaller Borja.
Cedrick didn't hesitate. He turned, shielded the ball with his broad back, and scored the easy hook shot. This was the fundamental basketball that Calapan's complex offense couldn't guard.
Score: Dasmariñas 29 — Calapan 23
The lead was now six points—the largest of the game.
Calapan called a second timeout. Coach Riego must have been furious. They came out of the break with renewed aggression, running a tight isolation play for Gerry Ledesma.
Gerry Ledesma, using a pump fake, got Marco to jump, and then drilled a contested pull-up two.
Dasma 29 - Calapan 25.
On the next possession, Tom Ledesma saw Ian was deep in the paint, protecting the rim after a drive. Tom pulled up from the three-point line, a beautiful, high-arching shot.
Swish.
Score: Dasmariñas 29 — Calapan 28
The Calapan crowd roared back to life. They had erased the big lead with two quick, precise shots. The pressure was back on.
Tristan took the ball, refusing to panic. He knew this was the pivotal moment. He called the "Dive" set. Marco and Daewoo switched spots, forcing Gerry Ledesma to chase Daewoo to the perimeter.
The move worked. Marco found himself matched against the smaller Tom Ledesma.
Marco drove hard, using his size to push Ledesma under the basket. The entire defense collapsed on him. Marco then executed a sharp, cross-court kick-out to Daewoo, who was now standing on the wing, wide open.
Gerry Ledesma sprinted back to contest. But Daewoo was too fast. He caught the ball, didn't even look at the basket, and immediately passed it to a wide-open Cedrick under the hoop. Cedrick laid it in.
Daewoo had used his shooting threat as a decoy, generating an open layup instead.
Score: Dasmariñas 31 — Calapan 28
"IQ, WOO! IQ!" Coach G roared, applauding the selfless pass.
Borja tried to answer with a drive, but Daewoo, now everywhere on the court, anticipated the drive, stepped in, and drew a massive, clean charge. Borja crashed to the floor, stunned.
Daewoo stood up, pounding his chest. It was the ultimate expression of the dog's heart—a brutal, high-effort play that turned the ball over.
Marco, fueled by Daewoo's defensive aggression, took the next possession himself. He ran a quick give-and-go with Tristan, freeing him up for a contested step-back three over Gerry Ledesma.
Swish.
Pure.
Score: Dasmariñas 34 — Calapan 28
The lead was six again, and the Dasmariñas National High confidence was soaring.
The final three minutes were a defensive masterpiece for Dasmariñas. Calapan, rattled by the physical intensity and the sudden neutralization of their five-out advantage, started forcing shots. Tristan's lock-down defense on Tom Ledesma ensured no clean looks, and Ian and Cedrick were playing their best perimeter defense all season, harassing every wing player.
With 1:00 remaining, Tristan called a timeout to draw up a final play.
"We hold for the last shot," he told the team, his voice calm, confident. "We get a guaranteed two. Ian, you are going to the dunker's spot, ready to finish. Marco, set the screen and roll."
Tristan slowly dribbled the clock down, letting the time tick away, the silence in the arena mounting with every passing second.
At 0:08, he exploded. He drove hard right, using Marco's screen. Reyes, Calapan's center, was forced to step up to cut off the drive. Tristan saw the opening. He didn't shoot. He dropped a perfect, bouncing pass to the dunker's spot.
Ian Veneracion was waiting. He caught the ball and elevated, stuffing the final dunk into the basket with a controlled, definitive force that was all business.
The buzzer sounded as the net shook.
Halftime Score: Dasmariñas 36 — Calapan 29
The Dasmariñas National High ran off the court, their faces sweaty, their bodies exhausted, but their eyes shining with the fierce light of a team that had found its identity in the crucible of national competition. They had won the second quarter 18-10.
Daewoo Kim walked off the court, his head held high. He looked down at his jersey, then looked at the silent #7 jersey waiting on the bench. He had paid the cost of the airball, not with shame, but with unrelenting effort.
"That," Coach Gutierrez said, his voice quiet, a rare smile playing on his lips as they reached the locker room, "is how you respond to a punch. Seven points up. We have to do it all over again, only harder. But for now... breathe."
The war was far from over, but the dog had found its teeth, and the Dasmariñas National High were finally on firm ground.