Against all odds

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

BY the time you read this, the second game of the best-of-three championship series of the First Governor’s Cup Inter-Town Basketball Tournament between Manaoag and Binmaley is already over.

I talked to some keen observers in the tournament after the first match and many feel it will either be a sweep or the series could reach the third and final game for the determined Manaoag boys of Alcalde Kim Amador. They offered two big reasons.  First, the Manaoag quintet coached by ex-varsity dribbler Ferdinand “Enan” Mangonon, just lost only once during the whole tournament. This happened during the semis on March 26 in the hands of Alaminos City, 79-89.  But the Manaoag five avenged that defeat by clobbering their tormentor, 96-83, in the third and final game not only to bag the first slot in the finals on April 1 but snatched the first match in the championship series, 97-93, on April 8.

The Binmaley fans called it a “fluke”. They said their top key player, the sweet-shooting Roxar Melendez performed lackadaisically, missing all his seven three-point attempts scoring only 18 points mostly from perimeter range, penetration and free throws, way-below his tournament 32 regular marks per game. One spectator said “Three-point expert Melendez was off” and that made the big difference. “If he had converted even just two of his seven three-point shots, Binmaley would have won the game by two marks,” he averred.

The inspired Manaoag squad took the momentum.  I can sense that Mangonon will not let his boys take it to the third match because that might spell disaster for them.

On the other hand, Binmaley is hungry for a victory and is determined to pocket the second game to force a knockout match.  If that happens, they say it’d be a clash of styles with Binmaley which is noted for three-point shots led by Melendez siblings Roxar and Mark and Leo Salazar.

But Manaoag has its own conservative plays as shown in most of its victories. These were won through medium range shots and penetration moves to collect fouls and free throws spearheaded by their wily guards Manny C. Santos and Adrian Barrozo, forwards Joemar Ordona and Angelo Aromin. They rarely do a three-point attempt unless necessary.

However, if Binmaley wins, the boys of Mayor Sammy Rosario will automatically force the third and final match the following day.

So, as far as I’m concerned, the odds are even and the results of the first meeting, 97-93, tells that story. But if Binmaley will play against all odds, the underdog and the pressure will be on them while Manaoag will expectedly exploit its momentum although greatly outnumbered in the bleachers Let’s wait and see.

Our province sports czar Modesto Operania said the players’ fellowship and awarding ceremonies will be on April 29 and most likely to be done at Sison Auditorium. Of course, our energetic and sports-minded father of the province Amado ‘Pogi” Espino, III will be there to grace the occasion.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Christ.  II John 1: 7

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