Steady presence

DAVAO CITY—Davao Occidental captain Mark Yee walked away from his teammates who were circling around the three-point line to huddle late in their first-round Chooks to Go MPBL Lakan South division clash against Bicol on Monday night.

The battle-tested Yee was still livid that teammate Eman Calo gave up an unnecessary foul at the backcourt, giving Bicol a lifeline with under two minutes remaining.

The huddle, however, wasn’t happening without Yee and his four other teammates had to approach the Tigers forward to get him involved, displaying the utmost respect to their leader.

A role player in his days in the PBA, Yee has emerged as a certified star in the MPBL and a player whose young standouts look up to—a stature he has earned after delivering tireless performances game in and game out for the Tigers over the course of the last two seasons in the league.

“I just didn’t want us to make stupid plays by fouling when our opponent is at half court and we’re in the lead,” Yee later said in Filipino, explaining his gesture after the top-seeded Tigers secured a 77-71 triumph in Game 1 over the No. 8 Volcanoes in their best-of-three series.

“I wasn’t happy. We have to be better. We have to be more mature in these types of games.”

Yee’s quiet leadership and work ethic set the tone for the Tigers, who had to fight their way back from a 13-point hole against a Bicol team that was playing free from the burden of expectation.

The 38-year-old Yee finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, joining forces with swingman Billy Robles, who made an impact with 11 points and nine boards, including five off the offensive glass.

“We had to focus on defense,” Robles said. “A lot of players on this team can score, but it’s important for us to help Mark (Yee) on defense.”

Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines also moved within a victory of the second round after overcoming No. 4 Batangas City Athletics-Tanduay, 78-74, at the start of their series. INQ