CEBU, Philippines — Joseph Chu Bragat dropped 19 of his 31 points in the first half and Fritz Villamor sparkled with 24 points as the 99ers sealed their spectacular run with a two-game sweep of the 1997 Ronins, 87-76, to clinch the Division 2 championship of the University of San Carlos-North Alumni Basketball Conference (USC-NABC) Summer League 3 last Sunday at the USC-North Campus gymnasium.
The 99ers amazingly muscled their way to crowning glory undefeated in a dozen games. Interestingly, they opened their campaign with an 80-55 obliteration of the Ronins last April.
Bragat scored 10 in the first period, then added nine points in the second quarter to power the 99ers to a 45-37 advantage at the break.
Villamor, the backbone of the 99ers' offensive system, then joined the scoring spree by unloading 11 points in the third canto to keep his side afloat in the face of a spirited resistance by the Ronins.
Fighting with a renewed challenge, the Ronins managed to grab the driver's seat early in the last frame but Bragat picked up where he left off, tossing in 10 points more spiked with two crucial 3-point plays while Vito Perez also acted a fireman's role by tallying eight of his 10 markers in the windup that scuttled any comeback hopes by their older foes.
"It was the sweetest championship ever after all the struggles that we have been through this season," said Villamor, who romped of with the Division 2 Most Valuable Player award for his consistant play all throughout the four-month tournament. "Team effort did work for us. We really played with our hearts out knowing that we are fighting for pride."
Team captain Christopher Osorio was the other double-digit scorer for the 99ers with 15 points.
"We are very proud and happy for this feat. We all feel nostalgic because somehow we relived our varsity days," said Osorio, one of the four 99ers who once suited up for the USC Baby Warriors in the Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA) now known as the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI). The others are Bragat, Villamor and Jess Kharlo Minoza, who chipped in nine points.
The other members of the 99ers champion team are Homer Vargas, Ernest Rama, Michael Alcarde, Mark Capili, Ark Lloyd Egot, Ralph Ligtas, Mark Loyola, Paul Magadan, Malazarte Marquez, Michael Ogdoc, Allain Ortiz, and Matt Zanoria.
Al Bughao paced the Ronins with 25 points, while Christian Tapic and Jake Saturinas had 15 and 12 points, respectively, in a losing effort. (FREEMAN)