FRESH from back-to-back title run, the Southern Philippine College (SPC) Sharks no longer hold the underdog billing when they enter the 2016 Loyola Cup basketball tournament, which is set to open Saturday, November 12, in Cagayan de Oro City.
In fact, rival teams may readily acknowledge the wards of Coach Rey Dangcal as now an established team to beat in the tertiary level of the annually-held Loyola Cup.
“Through sheer hard work, last year pa nabantayan ang capacity sa SPC Sharks and now they’re quite reaping the dividends of their sacrifices through the years,” observed “Baby James” Abucejo, the former president of Ballpals and erstwhile playmaker of the once-vaunted Liceo Titans varsity team.
Skippered by ex-Letran Knights mainstay LJ Aquino, the SPC Sharks got a big play from Macmac Labares in overtime period to overcome the Xavier University (XU) Senior Crusaders by just the skin of teeth, 100-99 to pocket the 25,000 top purse and championship trophy of the 2016 Pangantucan Invitational basketball tournament in Bukidnon.
Back home some days later, the Sharks faced the Crusaders of coach Rocky Calingin again in the finals of the Cagayan de Oro Basketball Federation tourney at the Mindanao University of Science and Technology Gymnasium.
Like in Pangantucan, the titular match was tightly contested right from the start with Assumption Montessori School coach James Racines filling in at the XU bench in the absence of Calingin.
A 16-5 XU run spearheaded by Johnrey Manatad erased SPC’s 13-point lead fueled by Marlon James Daitol’s productive effort. But Xavier University failed to capitalize on missed free throws by Emmanuel Akut III and the minor injury of Daitol in the waning seconds of the ballgame that allowed SPC to escape with an 86-84 win.
Lee Van Orig paced SPC scorers with 25 points, while Daitol added 17.
Host Mindanao University of Science and Technology defeated newcomer Professional World Academy, 104-98 in the battle for third place.
“Naa mi’y na-learn sa among thrilling nga mga dula sa XU that we hope nga ma-apply namo sa Loyola Cup,” Daitol told VoxPop Cagayan de Oro.
