I had a really good feeling about this year.. Like I could smell a championship coming...
Once again, my Stallions did't disappoint... =)
XAVIER JUNIORS REGAIN TIONG LIAN TITLE
February 23rd, 2008
by Henry Liao ‘72,
Hail to the Tiong Lian champions!
Twice over.
First, it was the Xavier Aspirants who secured their sixth consecutive championship in the Aspirants Division with a two-game finals’ sweep against Chiang Kai Shek.
Friday night (Feb. 22) at the Uno gym, it was the turn of their Big Brothers, the Xavier Juniors, to turn in the trick.
The Xavier Juniors registered a masterful 101-86 victory over Chiang Kai Shek in the deciding Game 3 of the best-of-three Juniors Division finals of the 32nd Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association tournament to regain the crown they lost to the Blue Dragons a year ago.
For only the fourth time in Tiong Lian history, one school annexed the Aspirants and Juniors Division titles in the same year. Chiang Kai Shek turned in the trick in 1991 and Xavier duplicated the feat in 2003, 2006 and this year.
The Golden Stallions took the opener of the Juniors Division in dramatic fashion, posting a come-from-behind 85-83 victory that shattered CKSC’s 16-game winning streak over two seasons. In Game 2, CKSC got back at Xavier, registering an 83-77 decision in a shootout that saw the protagonists combine for 20 three-pointers (11 by CKSC).
In the winner-take-all Game 3, both teams again torched the nets from beyond the three-point arc. Xavier knocked in 11 trifectas and CKSC connected on eight threes in the highest-scoring contest of the well-played titular series.
In the end, however, it was Xavier that proved to be the tougher nut to crack.
More than their impressive overall field-goal shooting (hovering around 50 percent) and suffocating team defense, it was the Golden Stallions’ gritty and determined stance that proved to be decisive.
As Banal, who completes his high school career with his first-ever championship, admitted in a television interview following the rubber match, this game was all about ‘heart.’
And it was Banal and his teammates who exhibited the heart of a champion throughout the 40-minute showdown – and not Chiang Kai Shek, the erstwhile reigning – and now deposed - titlist.
What was a close first quarter developed into a rout by game’s end.
Both teams casually exchanged baskets in the initial period before CKSC took the lead for the final time, 16-13, on a trey by Karl Villaflor.
Jeric Teng, a junior high-schooler who was the tournament’s scoring champion with a 30.5-point clip, quickly struck back with a three of his own to equalize the count, 16-all.
Xavier was ahead 21-18 (on Banal’s trey) at the end of the first 10-minute quarter.
Though the Blue Dragons were able to tie the score three times (18-all, 21-all and 23-all) bridging the first and second quarters, they would never lead at any time thereafter.
Another trifecta from Banal gave Xavier the lead for good, 26-23.
Halftime was 47-37, with the Gold and Blue ahead after 20 minutes for the first time in the series. Tomas Santos, Game 3’s surprise package, struck for eight markers during the period, including a pair from bonus-point territory.
Coach Lito Vergara’s battle-scarred troops continued with their torrid shooting in the third quarter as heady guard Robin Tan hit a pair of threes and Teng collected nine markers, including a trey that gave Xavier its largest advantage of 23, 75-52. Likewise, a tenacious help defense limited the touches of CKSC’s man-mountain Justin Chua and mesmerized its three-point marksmen.
John Laohoo connected on a three to end the third quarter at 75-55. But for the shellshocked CKSC unit of coach Sunny Co, it was the beginning of the end of its one-year reign.
Twice when CKSC attempted to pull close in the fourth period, at 77-60 and 82-65, it was Banal who doused the fire with a three-pointer on both occasions.
CKSC could not come closer than 13 points throughout the payoff period, slicing the deficit to 93-80 with 1:37 left on a last-ditch 5-0 run by the Blue Dragons.
The Batman and Robin duo of Banal and Teng bannered Xavier’s title crusade.
Teng finished with 27 points (on 10-15 FG and 5-9 FT clips, two three-pointers) 12 rebounds and seven assists while Banal totaled 23 markers (on 9-16 FG and 1-4 FT shooting, four three-pointers), nine boards and six blocked shots.
Robin Tan also played the game of his life, collecting a career-high 19 markers, including nine from the three-point area. Santos, a HS senior like Tan and Banal, contributed 16; Ian Umali, testing the defense of Justin Chua from time to time, had eight; and Miguel Tan wound up with seven.
Chiang Kai Shek was led by the 6-5 Chua, who had 30 points (on 13-21 FG and 4-7 FT shooting), 10 rebounds and five blocks in his farewell game as a Blue Dragon.
Villaflor (three three-pointers) knocked in 17 points and longtom artist Arnold Shih (four three-pointers) and bull-strong Laohoo had 16 and 15 markers, respectively, for the losers.
