Greenies cop midgets title in streetball

La Salle Greenhills of NCR leaned on the late-game heroics of center Vince Fran to seize the Midgets championship over Mindanao rival Ateneo de Davao University in the recently concluded National Finals of the Adidas Streetball Challenge 2002 held in SM City-Cebu.

Fran scored off the outstretched arms of towering 6-foot-1 Cylron Lozano of Ateneo de Davao with only 17.8 ticks left in the game clock to break the 10-all tie. La Salle then played tough defense in the dying seconds to win the finals match, 11-10.

While Fran connected the winning basket, it was 12-year-old Nicholas Salva who kept the Greenies in the contest with his exceptional inside game. The 5-foot-7 La Salle forward defied the defense of the Blue Knights of Mindanao as he scored at will with his power plays. Salva, who was later named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the midgets division, finished with a game-high 8 points.

"We thank God for this victory. We dedicate this win to our families and to our school. It was a tough win. Ateneo gave us a very good fight. But somebody had to come out the winner. Lucky for us, the breaks went our way in the end," said Salva.

The La Salle-Ateneo tiff was a nip-and-tuck affair all throughout. Matching Salva’s offensive onslaught was the outside sniping of crowd-favorite Felix Pepito of Ateneo de Davao. The 4-foot-9 point guard converted on two three-point shots late in the game to give the Blue Knights the lead, 10-9. But Ateneo failed to capitalize as Salva scored to tie the count, 10-10, and Fran came up with his gallant effort in the end game to secure the crown for the Greenies.

Other members of the La Salle Greenhills team were Matthew Sia and Marco Yulo, with coach Hubert de los Santos.

The Ateneo de Davao Blue Knights, with players Pepito, Lozano, Adrian Garzon and Jed Obeña, and coached by Frankie Agoncillo, settled for runner-up honors.