Dukes repeat victory, and my recollection last year

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

AFTER a meeting with Councilor Alfie Fernandez last Thursday afternoon regarding the proposed cycling road race to be held in connection with the celebration of this year’s Dagupan City fiesta, I dropped by at the Lyceum Northwestern University gymnasium where a ‘battle royale’ in the Pangasinan PRISAA inter-collegiate basketball league elimination round is being held between the defending champions University of Luzon (UL) Golden Tigers and the host the Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) Dukes.

I was not able to watch the entire skirmish, arriving only towards the end of the third quarter where the rejuvenated and the gangling boys of Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque were taking charge and ahead by seven points, 65-58.

The gym was packed with spectators and majority of them were students from UL and LNU.

In the end, the lucky ones were the Dukes, clobbering the defending champions Golden Tigers, 85-69, to the surprise of the audience, including this writer.

I was impressed by the plays of these two squads that despite their heat in the ventilated gym that took its toll on the players, the pace of the players never changed up to the last buzzer of the game.

Parang NCAA or UAAP games, ‘ika nga.

I had a brief chat with the winning coaches of the Dukes, Jason Vinluan and William Manaois after the game, and asked them how they gauge their team’s chances now, if they think they can enter the championship circle this year unlike the last four years placing only third perennially.

Manaois was confident that they have better chances this year knowing that his players already matured and are well-honed, challenged, determined and hungry for a championship.

“Nagsusumikap kami para maipakita naman namin sa mga estudyante at officials ng Lyceum na puedeng mag-champion ang LNU, kasi marami na kaming natatanggap na batikos,” said Manaois.

“Nakatulong din yong familiar kami dito sa aming court at ang cheering ng LNU crowd,” echoed Vinluan.

In last year’s elimination round, the Dukes of Gonz defeated the Golden Tigers of Coun. Chito Samson in a nail-biting game, 82-79.

But the Golden Tigers avenged that debacle in the best-of-three series 93-62 and 96-92.

It should have reached a third game or a ‘rubber match’ had the two referees, Dominic Pumar and Joel Bona from Baguio City, made the right calls during the dying seconds of the second match.

I watched that controversial second game that went into overtime, wherein the gallant stand made by the Dukes turned to naught with the help of the referees.

An outburst of rage and slight fisticuffs ensued during and after the game due to the bum calls made by ref Pumar.

My recollection says that during the last 18 seconds of the last period or before the overtime, the Dukes leading by two points, 82-80, had the big chance to seal their victory, when one of its players, center Lionel Razon, was charged with an eight second violation.

The call prompted the Dukes’ mentors, led by Manaois, to strongly protest the call, claiming that the ball was captured from his boy’s hands and Tigers controlled, then recaptured the ball and so another eight-second period to stay at the enemy’s court should have been allowed.

But ref Pumar stood by his call, prompting cheers from the UL crowd and jeers from the LNU fans.

A jumper by guard Jonathan Panunciar, with three seconds left, tied the score to force an overtime period of five minutes. UL finally triumphed, clinching the second slot for the finals and eventually the championship over 2005 titlists Webczars.

It was not UL’s fault but the refs’.

But that’s water under the bridge, na-recall ko lang. And that’s one of my unforgettable experiences in amateur basketball competitions.

(Readers may reach columnist at biking.jess@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/sports-eye/
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