CEBU, Philippines - The Immanuel Bible College (IBC) hacked out a spine-chilling 88-87 win over the Visayan Nazarene Bibble College (VNBC) to clinch the basketball title of the Inter-Bible School Sporsfest at the Evangelical Theology College of the Philippines (ETCP) in Sitio Banawa, Brgy. Guadalupe, this city.
It was a close encounter from the outset with neither team leading by more than five points. When IBC kept a two-point lead, 88-86, VNBC could have sent the game into overtime but top gunner Wowee Longcop just split his charities off a foul by Abraham Vasquez with 10 seconds left to play that proved too costly for them.
Vasquez paced IBC with 16 points followed by Jay Napala with 15. Three other IBC players cashed in double figures as they spread their offensive wealth evenly to frustrate VAST's powerful one-two punch of Longcop and Jun Morincillo.
Longcop was firing on all range to explode with a game-high 44 for VNBC. He was backed up by Jun Morincillo with 28 markers but their efforts went for naught.
Inspite of their failed title campaign in basketball, the VNBC mainstays still have something to cheer for as they bagged the overall championship of the fellowship event that featured various sporting events under the theme:"One in Sports, One in Goal, One in Christ."
Aside from the IBC, ETCP and VNBC, the other teams who took part in the goodwill games were the Cebu Wesleyan Bible College (CWBC), Cebu Four Square Bible College (CFBC), Cebu Philippines Bible College (CPBC) and the Visayan Alliance School of Theology (VAST).
The scores
IBC (88) - Vasquez 16, Napala 15, Talibong 14, Ebuava 10, Formentor 10, Napala 9, Marquez 8, Almarin 4, Pagobo 4, Jumao-as 3, Labarro 2
VNBC (87) - Longcop 44, Morincillo 28, Tumungha 10, Jetel 4, De Gracia 2, Augustin 2, Jared 2
Quarterscores:20-22, 43-46, 68-66, 88-87—EBV (FREEMAN NEWS)