Hope within reach of Tiong Lian final

MANILA, Philippines - John Apacible put on another double-double performance as Hope Christian High School got back at Xavier School, 72-64, to virtually clinch the first finals berth in the 43rd Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association-BonChon Chicken Championship at the CKSC gym in Manila over the weekend.

The 6-foot-4 Apacible knocked down 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to emerge as the BonChon Chicken Player of the Game for the third time.

The win came on the heels of Hope’s vengeful 67-63 win over reigning champion Chiang Kai Shek College for a 5-2 card. 

Its latest win, however, gave the Bernard Yang-managed squad an inside track for the first finals berth with three games remaining.

Theoretically, any defeat by Hope Christian in its three games would stymie its finals bid but the team has beaten its upcoming rivals by large margins not only in the first round but also in the last two editions of the league.

The only chance for Xavier to advance to the finals of the event backed by Solar BTV, Molten and Summit Water is to beat rival Chiang Kai Shek College by at least five points tomorrow.