MANILA, Philippines – Suwon KT Sonicboom barged back into the win column to welcome Filipino reinforcement Dave Ildefonso to the team on Thursday, taking a 77-66 road win over the Seoul Samsung Thunders in the 2022-23 Korean Basketball League season.
Ildefonso, who finished his UAAP career with a championship with the Ateneo Blue Eagles, came off the bench and played 17 minutes, tallying five points and four rebounds to help the Sonicboom snap a two-game losing streak.
A balanced effort saw Suwon improve to 14-17 for the year, with Jarrod Jones leading the pack with 15 points and five boards. Heongseok Yang added 13 points, six rebounds and four dimes.
Former PBA import Lester Prosper saw limited minutes but made the most of it for the Sonicboom as he ended up with six points and 10 rebounds in under 13 minutes of play.
The Sonicboom zoomed to an early 17-point lead in the opening canto, 29-12, and held on until the final buzzer for the win.
Seoul dropped its ninth straight game as it slumped to a bottom-dwelling 10-22 record.
Import Darral Willis had 28 points in the losing effort for the Thunders.
Elsewhere, Ethan Alvano and the Wonju DB Promy fell victim to the Goyang Carrot Jumpers as they lost, 87-72, on the road.
The Filipino-American guard finished with 13 points, three boards and three assists, but could not help Wonju survive Dedric Lawson's 40-point explosion for the Carrot Jumpers.
Goyang rose to 17-15 and extended their win streak to four while Wonju lost back-to-back games for a 12-20 slate, but remain ahead of last-place Seoul in the standings.