Berkeley tries to keep SBP plum

MANILA, Philippines - Eight teams are slugging it out in the Luzon regionals of the SBP-Passerelle Twin tournament at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando City, Pampanga with Baguio’s Berkeley School seeking to defend the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) crown.

Out to foil Berkeley’s back-to-back title bid are Pampanga’s Don Bosco Academy, Pangasinan’s Urdaneta 1 Central School and Quezon Province’s International School for Better Beginnings.

In the Passerelle division, the regional finals will feature new teams after defending Passerelle Luzon regional champions Saint Louis College-La Union lost in the preliminary games. Vying for spots in the finals are Baguio’s St. Louis University-Laboratory Boys High School, Quezon Province’s International School for Better Beginnings, Pampanga’s Holy Angel University and Pangasinan’s Urdaneta City National High School.

The SBP-Passerelle Luzon winners will advance to the championship set Dec. 12-14 at the Magis Eagles Arena of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu. They will face other regional winners, which include NCR’s Xavier School for SBP and Chiang Kai Shek College, the reigning Passerelle national champions. The Mindanao and Visayas regionals, meanwhile, will be held Nov. 7-10 and Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental and Nov. 21-24 at Capiz Gym in Roxas City, respectively.

The SBP Passerelle Twin tournament has assembled 600 of the country’s most promising cagers this year with kids 9-11 years old competing in the SBP tournament and kids 12-14 years vying in the Passerelle meet, all putting the lessons they learned from BEST Center to the test.