Sports Eye
Unstoppable UL quintet
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
DUE to my workload, I had to miss some skirmishes of the PRISSA Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament as well as the UCAAP Inter-Collegiate Jimmy Fernandez Basketball Challenge. But I always watched the most important clashes among the title contenders especially the semis and the finals. As expected the defending champions, the University of Luzon Golden Tigers, successfully protected their tiara by sweeping the Calasiao-based Philippine Colleges of Science and Technology Topnotch, 85-77, with plenty to spare last October 12 in their third in a row that ended the PRISAA hostilities. It was their 16th crown in Pangasinan caging.
The Tigers were unblemished this season and only had one scary moment when they were almost beaten by the Topnotch two weeks ago, 79-78, thanks to the buzzer-beating miss by Topnotch point-guard Philip Medina. This Tigers’ victory propelled them anew to represent our province in the regional competition against the best of La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.
And if lucky, they will represent our region in the National PRISSA Games next year to be held in Koronadal, South Cotabato. Sizing them up, the UL quintet this year is the best squad yet coached by father-and-son Renato and Byron Vidal. In fact the Perez Boulevard-based Tigers are enplaning to Indonesia in February to participate in the Association of South East Asian Nation Invitational Basketball Championship. If it pushes through, and I believe it will, it will be the Tigers first trip abroad since the team was formed decades ago.
The team was unstoppable this year in the PRISAA Games with two of its players joining the ‘Mythical Five,’ namely, the season’s MVP center Dennis Cuaresma and point-guard Mario Torio. (The other three are Benedict Aquino of PAMMA, Efren Boado and Rhenz Abando of PCST). But I wondered why Tigers forward Reynald Ballesteros was not included in the Mythical Five being a consistent point-maker. Anyway, that’s the prerogative of the organizers especially the league commissioner. So be it. Congratulation guys and keep up the good work.
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As of this writing (Thursday morning) the semifinals of the UCAAP Inter-Collegiate Jimmy Fernandez Basketball Challenge is in progress at the Dagupan People’s Astrodome. Defending champions Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) Dukes topped the elimination round and took the twice-to-beat advantage are playing against fourth placer AIE College Green Eagles. A loss by Eagles will automatically boot them out of the finals. The big match will be between the UPang Flames and PCST Topnotch again. The Flames who also took the twice-to-beat edge for finishing second in the qualifying round, overpowered Topnotch, 81-79, in their first meeting and 91-90 in their second encounter. The much-improved Topnotch of former PBA players Christian Calaguio and Jun Marzan should win the first match to stay in contention for the title. Don’t miss their third clash.
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Ednas School secondary boys suffered its first loss in the Pangasinan Passerelle Milo Best Basketball Twin Tournament in the hands of the more experienced St. Albert The Great School recently, 62-48, and were booted out for the championship. This goes to show that the boys of my son Jazy and my cumpadre Angel Gumarang are still not made of a championship caliber. They have improved this year by entering the semis, unlike last year when they scored only one victory and were easily expelled. Ednas will face citymate La Marea Academy for third place while defending champion Urdaneta City National High School-A battles St. Albert The Great School for the diadem both to be held on October 18 at the Urdaneta City Cultural and Sports Center. I have to be there.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 JOHN 5: 20
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