Xavier nails 1st B-League junior crown

MANILA, Philippines  -  Xavier School edged St. Mary’s School of Quezon City, 3-2, to pocket the first National Collegiate Billiards League junior crown at the jampacked SM Manila Monday night.

Xavier’s Biondi Te outclassed River Cadiz, 7-2, in the 10-ball singles but St. Mary’s RJ Bautista blanked Ryan Te, 7-0, in 9-ball to equalize.

St. Mary’s pair of Bautista and James Benzon took the first three racks in the 8-ball doubles rubber match but Bautista missed the yellow 9 in the fourth, enabling Biondi and partner Michael Cua to steal the rack.

The Greenhills-based squad then swept the next three to force a hill-hill match at 4. Benzon then made a crucial miss on the orange 5 in the decider, allowing Cua and Biondi to clinch the rack and the crown in the league also known as the B-League organized by Perry Mariano of Bugsy Promotions and Reli de Leon.

The other backers of the league are Accel, H20 Hotel, Manila Ocean Park, Star Publications, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Negros Billiards Stable, Malungai Life Oil, Niknok Pritson Manok, Hermes Sports Bar, Human Plus, Star Billiards Center, Brunswick, Bugsy Promotions, Mediacom, San Miguel Corporation, GSM Blue, PBA Party List and TV5.

Bautista, meanwhile, went on to bag the junior MVP crown.