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Wikipedia - Bacoor City Strikers
The Bacoor City Strikers were a Filipino professional basketball team, based in Bacoor, Cavite. The team last competed in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and played their home games at Strike Gymnasium.
Owned by the Local Government of Bacoor, the team joined the league in the 2018–19 season, becoming the second team based in Cavite after the Imus Bandera. In 2023, a volleyball team of the same name began play in the inaugural season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA).
The team's last active season was in 2023 when they clinched their first division championship.
History
2019–2020: Early success
Bacoor City joined as an expansion team for the 2018–19 season, giving the province of Cavite its second MPBL team after Imus in 2018. The Strikers ended up being the final entry of the league's national expansion. In their first season, the Strikers clinched the fifth seed in the South Division after finishing 13–12 in the regular season. In the playoffs, the team swept General Santos in the First Round before falling to the eventual finalist Davao Occidental Tigers in the Division Semifinals. Despite its shortcomings in the playoffs, their all-star in Gab Banal would go on to win the league's first Most Valuable Player Award on top of a First Team selection. Bacoor City continued that success with their winningest season in 2019–20, with 24 wins in the 30-game season. As the second seed, Bacoor City once again swept General Santos in the First Round, but lost to the third-seeded Basilan Steel in three games.
2022–2023: First division championship
In 2022, the Strikers lost some of its key players. Banal returned to the PBA with Alaska and Michael Mabulac moved to Nueva Ecija. Despite that, Bacoor City still managed to make the playoffs with a losing record of 9–12 as the seventh seed. Although the Strikers forced a game 3 in their First Round match-up against Batangas City, they would eventually lose in the elimination game.
The Strikers would rebuild in 2023, which saw the arrival of former Finals MVP Mark Yee and the return of Michael Cañete. Together with the likes of Jhan Nermal and James Kwekuteye, Bacoor City became the South Division's leading team with a 23–5 record. The team fell into an upset loss in game 1 of the First Round against the eighth-seeded Iloilo United Royals but came back to win the next two games. The Strikers then followed with back-to-back sweeps against Zamboanga and Batangas City on their way to win their first South Division title, becoming the first Calabarzon-based finalist since the 2018 Batangas City Athletics. In the 2023 Finals, Bacoor City met the Baltazar-led Pampanga Giant Lanterns. After going down 0–2, the Strikers led in the third quarter in game 3, but would lose the lead in the final minutes, thus ending the series. The Strikers became the first team in league history to get swept in the Finals. As of 2024, this would be Bacoor City's last active season in the league, as they would take a leave of absence.
The Bacoor City Strikers are known for their fast-paced and aggressive style of play, with a focus on strong defense and quick transitions. The team is led by head coach Chris Gavina, who has a wealth of experience coaching in the Philippines and abroad.
The team's roster is composed of talented and skilled players, including veterans and up-and-coming stars. Among the notable players on the team are Michael Mabulac, Mark Montuano, and Ian Melencio, who have all made significant contributions to the team's success.
The Bacoor City Strikers have a strong and passionate fan base, who are known for their unwavering support for the team. The team's home games are played at the Strike Gymnasium, which is always packed with enthusiastic fans cheering on their beloved Strikers.
Overall, the Bacoor City Strikers are a formidable force in the MPBL, and are poised to continue their winning ways in the years to come.