MANILA, Philippines — Jared Bahay and the Central Visayas’ secondary boys basketball team stole the title that mattered most to the National Capital Region with a shock 77-73 victory yesterday, spoiling the host region’s overall championship celebration at the close of the Palarong Pambansa at the Marikina Sports Center yesterday.
Bahay was the Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles’ shelter when they overhauled a nine-point deficit entering the fourth quarter and erupted for a 29-point masterpiece including the go-ahead jumper with 38 seconds to go.
It proved to be the dagger in the heart for the Big City, represented by National University and considered as the country’s basketball hotbed.
It was Central Visayas’ first gold in the sport since shocking NCR exactly a decade ago in Dumaguete.
“Actually, that’s part of our talk last night that the last time Central Visayas won the Palarong Pambansa was 10 years ago and it just so happened na kami din noon,” said an emotional Ateneo de Cebu coach Rommel Rasmo. “We’re so grateful for this blessing, 10 years hindi kami nag-champion pero binigay pa rin sa amin.”
And it was because Bahay, the University of the Philippines-bound cager, felt right at home in willing the Magis Eagles to victory from the brink of defeat.
NCR though still ended up running away with the overall title – its 16th straight in secondary boys – after a haul of 53 gold, 51 silver and 38 bronze medals.
Calabarzon was second with a 34-35-39 harvest while Western Visayas was No. 3 with a 31-22-27.
Hawkeyed archer Naina Dominique Tagle took the secondary girls individual Olympic round gold to emerge with a six-gold haul, joining gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo as most outstanding athlete in the weeklong meet.