DAVE Ildefonso got off to a winning start in the 2023 Korean Basketball League (KBL) as his Suwon KT defeated Seoul Samsung 77-66 on Thursday at the Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium in Seoul.

Playing 17 minutes and 30 seconds in his professional debut, the 6-foot-3 Filipino import from Ateneo logged five points on a 2-of-4 shooting from the field with four rebounds to boot.

Ildefonso and the Sonic Boom took care of business right away as they left the Thunders in the dust with a crippling 29-12 first quarter rally.

The visiting Suwon kept the home squad at bay for the rest of the way to improve its win-loss card to 14-17, seventh in the 10-team league.

On the other hand, the cellar-dwelling Seoul suffered its ninth straight setback and dropped to 10-22.

Jarrod Jones led the Sonic Boom with 15 points and five rebounds while Heongseok Yang added 13 points, six rebounds and four dimes.

Former PBA import Lester Prosper chipped in six points and 10 boards in the triumph.

Darral Wills paced the Thunders with 28 points and nine rebounds.

Ildefonso and the Sonic Boom will face another Seoul-based squad in the SK Knights on Saturday in their homecourt at the Suwon KT Arena.