REIGNING champion Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS) forgot to play defense and University of St. La Salle capitalized on that miscue to take the title of the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Regional Championships with a 90-79 stunner at the Natalio G. Velez gym in Silay City Monday, February 13.
The win gave the Ryan Nabor-mentored La Sallians the ticket to the national finals on March 13 to 16, 2017 at Mall of Asia Arena.
BTTHS, which dominated the Bacolod Leg and were eyeing for a repeat, lived and died with center Miggy Corteza while USLS had a good shooting percentage from the perimeter and the arc and worked hard on defense.
Coach Mark Belangel failed to use the deeper bench and cost the Thunderbolts its worst defeat in this league managed by NBTC Negros Island Region commissioner Denden Velez when Seaoil gave up its sponsorship two years ago.
Dumaguete’s St. Louis School-Don Bosco finished third after upending Universal School of Applied Technology (Usat) of Sagay City.
Belangel’s Thunderbolts Corteza, Mart James Barrera, Antonio Cacho II, Ralph Allen Cagalawan, Ryan Cruz, Kent Dustin Esparagoza, Ryan Cruz, Louis Nikolai Ma, Justin Magoliman, Rafael Minerales, Jayson Puray, Nicole Diether Rallos, Fritz John Tagamolia, Alec Christian Tan, Fritz Felix Valencia and Andy John Villamer looked formidable having demolished La Salle in the Bacolod eliminations.
Nabor’s Jr. Stingers of Mike Flores, Kyle Matthew Chua, Polo Miguel Lopingco, Eugene Clint Maceda, Howell Ian Santiago, Riggy Alinsoring, Kaiser Tumad, Jester Seth Sangco, Jeffrey Abordo, John Serudo, Joey Oria, Keandre Verzano, Ezekel Demanuel, Anthony Antipatia, and Jan Benzel Rivera were supposed to be easy prey in the finals.
But after a 13-9 spurt by La Salle in the first five minutes, the game everybody thought to end early was exactly the opposite as Alinsoring, Antipatia, De Manuel, Flores, Sangco, Lopingco, Abordo kept the lead every quarter by playing excellent defense.
Coach Pio Manlangit’s Usat were satisfied with a fourth place finish as Nico Abaquita, Bryan Andales, Christian Artajo, Sherwin Bantilan, Armando Bantolinao Jr., Chris Marc Comawas, Rommel Demiar, Kenneth Espinosa, John Robert Greenwood, John Aaron Lanza, Jessie Montinola, Jay-L Tabotabo, Rosleir Tagalog and John Rey Villacasin never thought of beating favored Silay City in the North Negros final a week earlier.
The Alexander Butch Waleson-mentored Don Bosco, meanwhile, cannot ask for more as his wards Ian Alabata, Jenth Marl Aranas, Joshua Nino Banquerigo, John Paul Calunod, Karl Dave, John Rey Delbo, Ian Lazarte, Ken Daniel Omoso, Cedric Earl Julius Paculba, Jhules Forbes Parcon, Icy Dave Patrocinio, Jian Carl Ragay, Marc June Sino-ag, Drexler Villanueva, and Jericho Villanueva were ecstatic playing in the regional top four finals.
