UL Golden Tigers upend PAMMA Sea Warriors in Game 1
PRISAA BEST-OF-THREE TITLE BEGINS
PRISAA Metro Dagupan reigning champions, the University of Luzon (UL) Golden Tigers edged Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy (PAMMA) Sea Warriors with a come-from-behind victory, 69-66, in Game 1 of their best-of-three championship series in the PRISAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) Metro Dagupan Basketball Games, last Friday, at the People’s Astrodome.
The Tigers entered Game 1 with an erratic start and were down by 12 points after the Sea Warriors engineered a 16-4 run with 4:05 time remaining in the second period of the game that ended 38-26 in favor of the Warriors but later squandered their lead in the fourth period and yielded the lead to the Tigers by one point with 1:50 time left . UL went to win with a 3-1 spurt in the dying seconds of the game.
It was a sweet victory for the Tigers as they drew the psychological advantage to snare the PRISAA title in Game 2, on Tuesday, September 16. The Golden Tigers, now chiefly mentored by Coach Byron M. Vidal, son of multi-titled basketball coach Renato “Jackal” S. Vidal, are hopeful they will be able to retain their crown in the local PRISAA cagefest; but, are not discounting the possibility of a surprise comeback by the Sea Warriors under Head Coach Benjamin “Benjie” Adogol, a former star Warrior himself in his college days, in the championship battle as shown with their tenacity in Game 1.
UL and PAMMA earned the championship berths after the Tigers with twice-to-beat advantage in the semi-final round demolished Colegio de Dagupan (CdD) Blue Stallions, 104-76 last Tuesday and the Sea Warriors, also with twice-to-beat incentive, walloped AIE College (AIE) Green Eagles, 97-74, in their second game last Thursday. PAMMA actually lost to AIE, last Tuesday in double overtime (extension) 94-101. Regulation time score was 70-70; thence 83-83 in the first extension.
On Tuesday, preceding Game 2 between UL and PAMMA will be the one knockout game for third place between AIE and CdD, starting at 1:30 p.m., at the People’s Astrodome. If necessary, Game 3 of the finals will be played on Wednesday, September 17, at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, as the basketball event comes to a close, starting in October, PRISAA Metro Dagupan will gather college students, men and women, from PRISAA member-schools to compete in other team and individual sports and events which will be played in different venues and dates until the first week of December in preparation for the PRISAA Regional Games in January, next year.
As earlier announced, the first place winners in the regional competitions, in representation of Region I, will vie for medals in the PRISAA National Games, on April 12-18, 2015, in Iloilo City.— Philamer C. Celi
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