Big City bets reclaim Palaro basketball gold

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Palarong Pambansa gold medal that matters most is back in the hands of the Big City bets.

It was signed, sealed and delivered via the National U Bullpups’ fight-marred 86-71 decimation of Central Luzon in the secondary boys’ basketball final at the University of San Carlos Main-Downtown Campus Gym yesterday.

It capped the National Capital Region’s domination of the annual multi-sports meet for grade school athletes.

“It’s back where it belongs,” said NCR coach Leo Pujante, whose team bounced back from last year’s heartbreaking defeat to Jared Bahay and Central Visayas in Marikina City.

Timothy Matias, son of pro baller Ronnie Matias, shone brightest with 20 points, most of them in the massive second-half run that turned a close duel into a ghastly rout.

Central Luzon was in control early but lost momentum when a shoving incident resulted in the ejection of four players, three of whom were its own.

“Mga key players ko ‘yun,” said a dejected Central Luzon tactician Allan Trinidad.

Palaro’s holy grail will return to Manila after NCR’s last victory in the sport five years ago in Davao City.

“I was part of that team as assistant to coach Dondon (Monteverde),” said Pujante.

Also coming through for NCR was its secondary boys’ volleyball team, which edged Calabarzon, 27-29, 25-19, 19-25, 28-26, 16-14, at the University of San Jose-Recoletos’ Basak Campus.

Not counting a few more events still being played at press time, NCR has virtually clinched its 17th general championship with a current medal haul of 71 gold, 57 silver and 66 bronzes, way ahead of closest pursuer Calabarzon’s 54-34-46 harvest.

Western Visayas was No. 3 with a 47-32-35 tally while Davao and host Central Visayas were Nos. 4 and 5 with 27-24-28 and 25-37-33, respectively.

NCR also struck in chess at the University of the Philippines-Cebu where it copped three of the four golds staked in the standard division – Chanro Jed Atilano (boys individual), Atilano and Marc Nemis (boys team) and April Joy Claros and Ruelle Canino (girls team).

In archery at the South Road Property grounds, NCR delivered thanks to Cassandra Louise Enecio and Lawrence Chkeil Enecio (recurve mixed team), and Cassandra Louise Enecio and Yohan Aquizha de Gula (recurve junior women team).