UP guard JD Cagulangan finally gets a win after losing his first three matches as a professional in South Korea's KBL.
Fourth time’s the charm for UP product JD Cagulangan as he finally got his first win with the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the Korean Basketball League, beating Justin Gutang’s Seoul Samsung Thunders, 74-65, at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena on Wednesday, January 22.
Cagulangan, who made his debut against this same Seoul team last January 11, emerged victorious this time against the Samsung Thunders albeit with a little less eye-popping numbers, snapping a three-game losing skid to begin his pro career.
The two-time UAAP champion played 15 minutes for Suwon — the least he’s played so far — to finish with four points, three rebounds, and four assists in the victory, which snapped a five-game slump for Suwon overall.
The Sonicboom hit the ground running where they seized the eight-point lead, 26-18, at the end of the first quarter.
Five different players scored at least nine points in the win as Suwon improved to 16-14 for the season.
Gutang, for his part, had eight points, three rebounds, and two assists as Seoul has now lost two in a row for an 11-19 record.
Elsewhere, Ethan Alvano’s Wonju DB Promy out-battled the free-falling Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters, 82-75, at the Anyang Gymnasium.
Alvano, fresh from the All-Star Weekend with Gutang and Daegu KOGAS’ SJ Belangel, finished with a triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists as Wonju neared .500 with a 15-16 slate.
He outperformed Anyang’s Filipino import Javi Gomez de Liaño, who finished with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists as the Red Boosters continued to struggle in the season.
The Red Boosters have lost 12 of the last 13 matches and are currently at 8-23.