Dyke steers Manila past Bacolod

MANILA, Philippines — Called upon to start, Manila-Frontrow forward Mark Dyke did not waste the opportunity as he tallied his first double-double in the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Season.

Dyke posted 17 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, helping the Stars clobber Bacolod Master Sardines, 87-70, at the San Andres Sports Complex, Friday.

But the soft-spoken, undersized forward was just returning the favor to Manila’s coaching staff, headed by Tino Pinat and Ariel Vanguardia.

“Entering the game pa lang, focused na talaga ako kasi binibigyan ako ng confidence nila coach. Palagi na nila akong iniistart. Ayaw ko lang mawala yung tiwala nila sa akin, so ibinabalik ko lang sa kanila,” said the 6-foot-3 forward, who was released by La Salle last April.

Dyke went a perfect 2-of-2 from the three-point line, including a big triple in the 3:01 mark of the fourth period that gave the Frontrow-backed Stars an insurmountable 21-point advantage, 80-59.

And that was just how Dyke imagined it, for him to shoot the lights out from downtown after putting much work in his shooting.