Jeric Teng of Xavier School, Ronald Chua of host UNO High School and Kim Lo of St. Jude Christian School shared the limelight in the opening of the 39th Yakult Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association (MMTBA) Championship by leading their respective schools to impressive wins at the UNO High School gym over the weekend.
Teng, last year’s scoring champion and former member of the RP Youth team, outscored the entire Hope Christian High as he fired 52 points to lead the defending champions to a 120-43 rout.
The Caesar Wongchuking-managed Golden Stallions, who beat Chiang Kai Shek College for the crown last year, are gunning for their eighth title in the annual event backed by PG Flex Linoleum, Converse, Puma, Davies Paint, FG Jeans, Rusty Lopez, Burlington, MEC Computer and Healthy Options.
Chua, on the other hand, joined forces with the cat-quick Isaac Lim as UNO High shocked CKSC, 87-81.
Lo was the big hero for St. Jude as he knocked in the marginal point to likewise post the other upset 68-67 win over St. Stephen’s in the opening of the country’s premier high school tournament among Fil-Chinese schools.
With the game tied at 67-all, Lo, who finished with 15 points, split his charities in the last 25 seconds aside from helping his team break the Stephenians’ last offensive play to seal the win.