Chiang Kai Shek, Hope Christian renew rivalry in NBTC

MANILA, Philippines -- The Tiong Lian Basketball Association may be on hiatus but league rivals Chiang Kai Shek College and Hope Christian High School continue to butt heads. The two schools met in three finals in the past 12 months with the former coming away with two titles to the one of the latter.

The CKSC Blue Dragons defeated HCHS last month in the Seaoil Metro Manila Basketball League. They also annexed the Filipino Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation championship in August of 2013. HCHS took last season’s TLBA title against the Blue Dragons.

In the opening round of the Seaoil National Basketball Training Center on Thursday, March 6, the two high school basketball powers tangle in the main game of 2014 Seaoil NBTC League National High School Finals at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig.

“There will be a new champion this year as San Beda didn’t qualify,” said tournament director Ato Badolato. “But this is a good sign because teams are now more competitive. That also means that coaching around the country and the quality of our players is getting better.”

"What better way to kick off this event than to have Chiang Kai Shek and Hope Christian meet in a rematch of the MMBL Finals," said Seaoil NBTC national program director Eric Altamirano. "We're all excited. This is the culmination of all those months of preparation, from the provincial eliminations to the citywide championships. This truly is the national finals and we welcome you all."

Division I bracketing in the national finals is as follows: Group A: Chiang Kai Shek, Hope Christian, NU-B; Group B: St. Francis of Assisi-Cavite, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo (Cebu 2), NU-A; Group C: West Negros (Bacolod), University of San Carlos (Cebu 1), Iloilo Central Commercial; and Group D: Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori (Cagayan de Oro), Assumption College-Davao, Southern City College (Zamboanga).

Division II Group A: Olongapo City National, Assumption-Pampanga, Divine World Academy (Dagupan); Group B: University of the Cordilleras (Baguio), Jesus the Loving Shepherd (Naga), De La Salle-Lipa, Group C: Reedley International School,. Mandaue, Bethel Baptist Christian (Bukidnon); and Group D: MMBL’s San Benildo, Trinity University of Asia and Jubilee Christian Academy.

Other Division I inaugural day games have Iloilo Central taking on West Negros at 1 p.m. and NU-A facing Sacred Heart-Ateneo of Cebu at 3 p.m.

Over at the CCF gym, Division II matches have Olongapo National meeting Assumption-Pampanga at 12 noon and Reedley battling Bethel Baptist-Bukidnon at 2 p.m.

The format calls for teams from each group in both divisions to play a single round elimination. The top two teams advance to the crossover quarterfinals in an A versus B and C versus D affair. The four winners then meet in another crossover fashion in the semifinals to decide the finalists for both divisions.

The finals will be played on Sunday, March 9 along with the third Seaoil NBTC High School All-Star Game that will be bannered by standouts Arvin Tolentino (San Beda), Hubert Cani (National University), Meds Salim (Chiang Kai Shek), and John Apacible (Hope Christian) among many others.

The finals of the Seaoil NBTC is the culmination of the official grassroots program of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and is backed by the MVP Sports Foundation, Meralco, Smart, NLEX, Maynilad, Philex, Philippine Star and Molten.