CEBU, Philippines - Team Torn rode on the endgame heroics of Paul Alelu Flores, Neil Congson and Nangka Brgy. Capt. Rey Cataluña to crush the gritty CPP, 87-82, and breeze through the championship round in the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) division of the 2009 Consolacion Fiesta Basketball Tournament at the Consolacion Sports Complex.
Flores, a former star guard of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws during his UAAP days, exploded with 25 points spiked with seven triples while the ever reliable Congson punched in 23 markers for Torn, which deftly crawled from a six-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to baffle CPP at the final buzzer.
Julius Napuli scattered 15 points and Cataluña added 12 but it was his stonewall defense that mattered most as he limited Reswin Bihag to only six points in the final stretch after churning out 28 markers in the first three quarters.
Congson hit a basket and then dropped back-to-back treys at the start of the fourth period, but Edwin Bihag shot back with a 3-pointer to hand back CPP a six-point lead with less than three minutes left to play.
Team CPP maintained a shaky 82-79 lead, but that proved to be its last hurrah as Flores darted in two consecutive 3-point bombs to put Torn on top for good, 85-82. In the ensuing sequence, Cataluña snatched a crucial steal and then lobbed the ball to Flores for a breakaway layup that settled the final outcome.
Edwin Bihag had 22 points for CPP followed by Dennis Balaba with 20 in a losing effort.
Torn is manned by players from barangays Tugbungan of Tony Tumungha, Poblacion Oriental of Liking Caylan and Nangka of Rey Cataluña.
Jointly organized by Consolacion ABC prsident Ma. Analee Gungob and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) chairperson Madel Hyacinth Herrera, the two-month tilt is being held as a runup to the annual town fiesta of Consolacion in honor of its beloved patron San Narciso on October 29.
The scores
Torn (87) - Flores 25, Congson 23, Napuli 15, Cataluña 12, Tibon 6, Boyles 4, Tumungha 2
CPP (82) - R. Bihag 34, E. Bihag 22, Balabad 20. Miñoza 6
Quarterscores:11-17, 33-37, 62-69, 87-82 (FREEMAN NEWS)