Vital tune-up games

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

IN ANY kind of sporting event, especially ball games like basketball, volleyball, baseball and football to name a few, tune-up games are absolutely necessary to prepare for a competition. Tune-up games are the best way to jell with your teammates, gauge your team’s aptitude, weigh your enemy’s capability, measure your energy on how far you can go, and to know your inefficiency. These are very essential if you truly love your chosen game and determined to reach your goal. As a former athlete in cycling and also in playing basketball, boxing, table tennis and running, I know this. Perseverance and patience are also essential to reach the top.

Tune-up games are now being played by the seven college schools that will participate in the coming 2011 PRISAA-UCAAP Collegiate Basketball Championship, the Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. Cup, that is ready to unfurl on July 27 at the Dagupan People’s Astrodome. I watched one of the tune-up matches of the LNU quintet last July 18 held at the LNU gym where they demolished the visiting Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) of Baguio City by 23 points, 70-47. The visitors were not even able to come close in scoring from the first period up to the fourth and final quarter. The match was so lopsided that the spectators who paid P40 each for the twin games began to dwindle after the first half. Yes, the visitors tried their utmost but their best just was not good enough to thrill the crowd. The LNU boys of Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque, known as the Dukes, are now under the tutelage of Angel C. Gumarang. The victory, inspiring even if it was not so morale boosting, is an indication that the Dukes are ready for the July 27 opening skirmishes. Gumarang said they will have another scrimmage on July 22 against the UPang-Phinma boys of Jay Ronquillo.

PIMSAT and UP Baguio played in the first game of the day. PIMSAT, protecting its nine-point first period lead up to the third juncture, finally finished the game with a14-point advantage, 63-49. As expected, it was the duo of Romel Fabricante and Romeo de Guzman with a combined 28 points (14 each) who did most of the damage against the highlanders.

Defending champion University of Luzon Golden Tigers, envious or not or simply doesn’t want to be in a disadvantaged situation, will also have a tune-up match against Manila’s dreaded squad the San Sebastian College (SSC) on July 22 at DWAD gym at 3:00 p.m. The Tigers coach Renato “Jack” Vidal said SSC will send its team B and probably to be mixed with few team A members. First game will be PAMMA versus Colegio de Dagupan at 1:30 p.m.

Unfortunately I can’t give you the results in this week’s issue as I am writing this before these games. But I’ll be watching the scrimmage and assess how far PAMMA and CdD can go and evaluate how well the Perez boulevard-based Golden Tigers of Dagupan City alderman Chito Samson will do against a well-known Manila’s finest SSC.

The other teams, including AIE-College, are also having their individual tune-up games, firmly believing that it’s so vital for their coming hostilities. I sense that this year’s tourney will be very different from last year or even the previous years. Let’s go and watch them on July 27.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians: 5-6

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