SSU survives past SLSU in nail-biter, secures their first win in best-of-three EVCAA match
Marjorie Tan 
Samar State University Deer shattered the Southern Leyte State University Kingfishers spotless record as they let them taste their first defeat throughout the second season of Eastern Visayas Collegiate Athletic Association (EVCAA) in the Game 1 of best-of-three finals basketball match held on November 11, 2023 at Tacloban City Convention Center.
SLSU Kingfishers took the control early with consecutive three-pointer shots and fiercely guarded SSU Deer’s ace AJ Tolipas to deny him possession but was unfazed and led the 7-0 run in the first quarter’s last minute, 24-17, which was later on ended with a nine-point lead, 28-17.
In the second quarter, the momentum shifted on the Kingfishers’ side with Jhon Ray Tadtad and Renz Amparo’s lead. However, the Deer allowed the Kingfishers to assume that they could even the score, but the former strategically surged ahead, leaving the opposing team trailing behind by five points, 36-41.
The Kingfishers turned the table with 5:57 minutes remaining in the clock in a single-point lead, 47-46, but was swiftly regained by SSU Deer’s Ric Rodriguez draining a crucial two point-shot, setting the court for a nail-biting series of lead changes. The thrilling back-and-forth struggle between the teams reached its end when Dixter Basilan deposited a three-point shot in the last ten seconds, still in the lead of SSU by three points, 56-59.
The Deer ended strong with a six-point victory, 73-67, securing their first win of the best-of-three match of EVCAA finals.
Meanwhile, SLSU Kingfishers need to win tomorrow, November 12, in the Game 2 of the finals to force a Game 3 of the match.
Dixter Basilan of SSU Deer stood out as the player of the game, amassing 21 points and an astonishing 26 rebounds. Adding to the accolades, the Tolipas Brothers were also announced as part of the Mythical Five lineup, while the Deer’s Captain, Rogelio “Tuks” Tolipas, was proclaimed as the Defensive Player of the Year.
