Sports Eye

By March 20, 2018Opinion, Sports Eye

Rematch?

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

THE FIRST game of the best-of-three semifinal series of the 2nd Governor’s Cup Inter-Town/City Basketball Tournament held at Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) in Lingayen last March 10 with jam-packed crowd is another successful affair of Gov. Pogi’s sport project.

Defending champion Binmaley and last season’s first runner-up Manaoag succeeded in their respective missions and are gearing to clash anew for this year’s championship. While the Manaoag quintet of Mayor Kim Amador overwhelmed arch-rival Urdaneta City, 90-71, in the first game, it was different with the Binmaley-Lingayen clash that ended into a nail-biting match, 79-75. Yes, the Binmaley boys of Mayor Sammy Rosario spearheaded by the Melendez siblings Roxar and Mark and mentored by Gian delos Angeles, almost succumbed to the rampaging Lingayen boys of Mayor Eday Castaneda in the last quarter of the tussle despite the big 26 points lead, 37-11 enjoyed by Binmaley in the early part of the match. Trimming the deficit in the second quarter by 13 marks, 45-32, Lingayen’s five under the tutelage of former LNU Dukes guard Jayson Vinluan, knowing that a defeat by a wide margin would be a huge humiliation for their kabaleyans watching them, orchestrated a choking resistance with strong intensity in the last two quarters starred by forward Marvin Mamaril who poured in 18 of his total 22. It was enough to confuse and riddle the titlists to the delight of the cheering Lingayen crowd. But in the end, the game was for the Binmaley boys, who now have the momentum for their second meeting.

Despite the debacle, I have to doff my hat to coach Vinluan for that stupendous rally he engineered after the 26 points dearth.

“We were remiss in defense and were cold in the first quarter and that made the biggest difference,” Vinluan admitted. “For sure we’ll have some adjustments in the second match, praying and hoping that it will be fruitful for us,” Vinluan added.

“One of a kind ‘ika nga sa larangan nang paghabol sa larong basketball ang ginawa ng Lingayen team,” commented Henry Escleto of the Pangasinan Sports Development and Management Council. “There’s a big possibility that a third game might happen,” he added. I agree.

Like in the past, three-point specialists, brothers Roxar and Mark, were the top scorers of the game rifling 25 and 23 points, respectively, with Jerome Estebar contributing 15 marks. The three jointly scored nine treys (27 points) while Lingayen had only six (18 points) with Mamaril sinking only five. I guess that’s one of the factors of Lingayen’s defeat.

After the game, some of the spectators came to me and predicted that a rematch for the championship (Binmaley vs Manaoag) is in the offing, again. They might be right but I just shrugged it off and told them to just wait and see what happens come March 17. We should not underestimate the two losers that despite being the underdogs, obviously they’re hungrier for a victory to stay alive than their two conquerors.

A rematch in the offing? It’s hard to say and only God knows.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus Christ said, ‘But love your enemies, do good, and lend hoping for nothing in return and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. LUKE 6: 35-36

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