MANILA, Philippines - The Junior Green Archers dominated the MIilo-sponsored SBP-Passerelle NCR tournament, beating Xavier in the Passerelle division and Ateneo in the SBP recently.
In a tight contest in the Passerelle finals, LSGH Team A squeaked past Xavier School, 62-60, to end two years of title frustration. Center Carlo Abadeza topscored for the Archers with 10 markers.
In the SBP championship, LSGH Team A turned back Ateneo Team A, 49-42. Shooting forward Shan Exequiel Vesagas led the Archers with 13 points to help LSGH nail down the title.
“We were very hungry for the title because for the past two years, we placed third in the tournament,” says LSGH Passerelle head coach Marvin Bienvenida.
LSGH SBP team head coach Karl Stephen Santos said right attitude was key to their victory.
“I’m glad they showed the initiative and enthusiasm to continuously improve. Through the good times and bad, the boys did their part for the good of the team,” said Santos. Most importantly, the victory ended a six-year title drought for the team.
Both coaches said the SBP-Passerelle tournament is a good venue to develop sportsmanship and discipline among players.
The experience they gained during the finals will undoubtedly inspire them to become even better persons on and off the basketball court, they said.
In a battle for third place, forward Aaron Ivan Reyes paced the Tiger Cubs with 15 points as University of Santo Tomas (UST) downed Chiang Kai Shek College, 64-59, in the Passerelle division. In the SBP category, De La Salle Santiago Zobel A overcame Notre Dame of Greater Manila, 44-37. Center Miguel Carlos Datu led the way in scoring with 11 markers.
Most Valuable Player awards were likewise handed out to LSGH players Michael Louise de la Cruz in the Passerelle division, and Joshua Miguel Marcos in the SBP division. Sportsmanship awards were also presented to UST (Passerelle) and LSGH (SBP).
As the newly-crowned NCR champions, La Salle Green Hills will face off against other teams that will emerge from the regional championships. The Visayas finals is scheduled at the Iloilo Sports Complex on October 20-21 to be followed by the Luzon finals on November 3 and 4 at the University of Assumption in Pampanga. The Mindanao finals is slated on November 17 and 18 in Davao with the National Finals happening on December 1 and 2 at Capiz Gym in Roxas City.
The SBP – Passerrelle remains the country’s most renowned annual inter-school league for the country’s basketball players aged 9 – 11 (SBP) and 12 – 14 (Passerelle). Organized by the award winning Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training (BEST) Center, the twin tournament aims to develop the country’s next generation of basketball heroes.
Organizers have also announced the opening of BEST Center’s Introduction to Basketball Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4, which will start on Sept. 15 and every Saturday thereafter, from 8-11:30 am at the Ateneo College Covered Courts.
Now on its 27th season, the SBP – Passerelle has produced the likes of PBA Philippine Cup finals Most Valuable Player Larry Fonacier, SMART-Gilas Pilipinas captain Chris Tiu, Powerade Tigers all-star guard JV Casio and reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals MVP James Yap.
About the best Center
Founded in 1978 by Nicanor “Nic” Jorge, BEST Center is widely acknowledged as the Philippines’ premier basketball school. The BEST Center is renowned for teaching players the fundamentals of sport while inculcating discipline, sportsmanship, and camaraderie through their interaction with coaches, instructors, classmates, and peers. In 2007, the BEST Center was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA), in recognition of its pioneering scientific approach to basketball training in the country.