Lucky 9 for Cokaliong

Prolific longe-range bomber Chester Cokaliong once again lived up to his billing as one of the best 3-point snipers in local leagues today by claiming his third consecutive 3-point king crown this year and ninth overall in his career via the 2005 Executive's Cup basketball tournament last Sunday at the City Sports Club of Cebu gym.

But just like some of his previous triumphs, the win wasn't served on a silver platter as Cokaliong literally had to pass through the proverbial eye of the needle before dethroning last year's title-holder Philip Oncines of back-to-back champion Liloanon Sports Organization (LISO) selection.

"I really did not expect to win the title," said an elated Cokaliong of the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA) All-Stars, who was later cited for having the best 3-point field goal percentage this season at 35 percent.

Cokaliong barely made it to the final round as he just scored nine points in a tie with Samuel Co of CECABA selection and Benedict Chua and Archie Corros, both of the Jaycees Basketball Association (JBA).

Completing the seven-man finalists were Juanillo Soliman with 13 points, Oncines with 12 points and Dean Wong of San Carlos Boys High Alumni Basketball Association (SCBHABA) with 10.

In the championship round, Cokaliong and Soliman were tied with 10 points each, thus, forging a sudden-death shootout. In the decider, Cokaliong wielded the power of his steady-shooting hands to rout Soliman with the score of 15-9.

Nine was the lucky number indeed for Cokaliong that day as he scored nine points in the elimination round of the 3-point shootout. He went on to win his ninth 3-point crown and scored nine points togther with Zotico Tan in the 2-ball competition topped by JBA's Corros and Ringo Balbuena.

Corros and Balbuena combined for 27 points in the final round to defeat LISO's tandem of Edger Ybañez and Jopseph Torlao, who piled up only 18 points. Torlao did not go home empty-handed though as he was honored as the Finals MVP.

LISO's Dalmacio Maglasang, Jr., on the other hand, topped the free throwing shooting contest, while Henrich Chua of the CECABA All-Stars settled for the first runner-up honors.

During the awarding rites of the tournament backed by Osaka Iridology and Manang Gina's Lutong Bahay in cooperation with Imports Unlimited, Sunsport, Toys @ Work, Grand Gemini Ventures,Gloria Jean's Coffees-Banilad Town Centre, AD Gothong Manufacturing and Cebu City Sports Commission, SCBHABA's Edwin Banaag was awarded with the regular season MVP honors.

Banaag, who was also the All-Star MVP and owned the best 2-point field goal percentage at 59 percent, made it to the Mythical Five selection together CECABA All-Stars' Samuel Sia and Joel Chan, and LISO's Abner Desiderio, and Guardo-Rama Boys' Reynaldo Zamora. Sia also had the best free throw shooting percentage at 65 percent.