Sports Eye
Rain or shine, basketball action heats up
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
EL NINO has faded away and we are now feeling the challenges of the wet season. During the rainy period, obviously outdoor games like football, baseball, cycling, car racing, and beach volleyball to name a few are off. No problem, of course, with indoor sports like chess, table tennis, badminton, martial arts, and boxing, as well as flexible games such as volleyball and basketball which can be played either inside or outside a sports ground.
So despite these rainy days, we still have basketball tournaments, like the annual basketball tournament PRISAA-UCAAP Inter-Collegiate Basketball Championship in Dagupan City that started last July 22. But prior to this big league, two big goodwill games were held featuring some visitors from as far as Angeles City and Binalonan town against Dagupan City’s best in college caging. Binalonan was represented by the well-known University of Eastern Pangasinan (UEP) Patriots (owned by the town’s chief executive Ramon Guico lll) coached by the father-and-son team of Renato and Jack Vidal. The team strutted their wares and were victorious against one of Dagupan City’s best college team, the Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy (PAMMA) Blue Dragons, 71-61, last July 19. The Blue Dragons were the champions (their first ever title) in the First Jimmy Fernandez Cup held last year at the Divine Word Academy gym.
But I wonder why despite the Patriots’ exemplary performance in that match, they did not join this year’s PRISAA-UCAAP joust. If they did, I think it would have brought additional color to the league. Asked why, UCAAP Executive Director Seato Gonimil just said the boys of Mayor Guico are planning to join next year. Sana nga.
It was also surprising that last year’s first runner-up, Pangasinan University of Northern Philippines (PUNP), withdrew from this year hostilities one week before the tourney started. Reports reaching me indicate that they chose to instead join the Cordillera region league being held in Baguio City rather than prove their worth anew here. I don’t know why. PUNP was the champion of the Urdaneta Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) last year with the Patriots taking up the first runner-up plum.
If you ask me, these two elite squads from the eastern side of Pangasinan should have joined the Dagupan City league to determine once and for all who is who in Pangasinan collegiate caging. We should have one champion in the province every year. Period.
The Angeles City team represented by System Plus College Foundation was not lucky during that July 19 exhibition joust with the rejuvenated Colegio de Dagupan Blue Stallions. But it was a hard-earned victory, to the delight of the spectators, with the score ending at 67-62. The visitors got the height and the heft but the boys of Voltaire Arzadon got the speed and the guns and that made the big difference.
Colegio de Dagupan had always been a tail-ender during previous PRISAA-UCAAP tilts. But this year it is sending a strong message to the giants that they are a force to reckon with by scoring two victories in a row and no loss so far (unlike last year). Last Monday, against all odds, the Blue Stallions registered their biggest triumph by trouncing the defending champions Lyceum Northwestern University Dukes, 77-73.
I saw how they smothered the heavily favored Dukes, especially in the dying minutes of the game. I dare say that if they can maintain their intensity, improve their shooting accuracy, agility, solidarity and willpower, they have a big chance of entering the finals this year. But I also have no doubt that the Arellano-based Colegio de Dagupan boys will enter the semis.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
