Dyke rides on confidence in 1st MPBL Lakan Cup double-double outing

MANILA, Philippines – When called upon to start, Manila-Frontrow forward Mark Dyke made sure to go all out as he tallied his first double-double of the 2019-20 Chooks-to-Go MPBL Lakan Season.

Dyke posted 17 points and 10 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end, helping the Stars clobber Bacolod Master Sardines, 87-70, at the San Andres Sports Complex on Friday, December 20.

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, lagi na nila akong ini-start. 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.

(I was really focused once I entered the game because coach was boosting my confidence from the start. I didn’t want to lose their trust, so I just returned it.) 

Dyke also went a perfect 2-of-2 from the 3-point line, including a big triple in the 3:01 mark of the 4th 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 shot.

“College pa lang, 3-points na talaga ‘yung wino-work ko kasi grabe, nung high school wala talaga akong shooting. Lagi kong kasama mag-practice ng shooting si Carlo (Lastimosa). Minsan nagpupustahan pa kami para mas challenging. Kaya, ayon, naayos ko na ang shooting ko.”

(I was working on my 3-pointers since college because I really didn’t have any shooting skills when I was in high school. I always practiced my shooting with Carlo Lastimosa. Sometimes, we even bet on each other to make it more challenging. That’s how I fixed my shooting.) 

With stretch-4 Aris Dionisio leaving Manila after this season as he was picked in the PBA Draft, Dyke is ready to take the role that Dionisio will vacate.

“Thankful ako na nakasama ko si Aris kasi marami akong natututunan sa kanya. Kapag pinapanood ko siya, sinusubok kong gayahin kung paano siya maging aggresive. Tina-try ko i-apply sa laro ko, at ‘buti nagwo-work naman.”

(I am thankful for coach Aris because I learn a lot from him. Whenever I watch him, I try to copy how he can be so aggressive. I try to apply it to my game, and it’s a good thing that it’s working.) 

In other games, Biboy Enguio’s big double-double lifted Muntinlupa-Angelis Resort over Iloilo, 96-92, while Valenzuela Carga Backload Solutions survived a 4th-quarter rally by Sarangani, 89-84. – Rappler.com