Junior Olympians win in FMC debut

Eric Sanchez scores a three

The first is always the hardest specially for a team that has just been assembled for the past two weeks. The STI College Junior Olympians start their quest for a a Juniors title in the forthcoming 11th NAASCU by joining the Fr. Martin's Cup as a guest team. This way the team can eventually gel, get to run some plays and more importantly know what their roles will be come game time. With only four remaining remnants of last year's team, the road to respectability seems to be a long one considering that the Junior Olympians have yet to make it to the NAASCU final four.

Macky Delorino takes it to hoop

The year's team is led by third year veteran Eric Sanchez who has blossomed into the team's all around player. Together with Sanchez is a cast that can shoot the lights out on any given day as the duo of Erven Silverie and Vincent Amparo showcase the superb outside shooting of the team. Add to the mix shifty guard Macky Delorino and the inside presence of Arjay Napenas and returning center John Pariñas. The six players form the core of the Olympians who are also trying out other junior players who will suit the STI Basketball system.

Erven Silverie sank four three pointers

In this year's Father Martin's Cup, the Junior Olympians are entered as a guest team in the Juniors division and their mission is to hone their skills and gel so that come NAASCU time the team is a well oiled machine. In their first game the Junior Olympians faced a tough stand by the Emilio Aguinaldo College - Immaculate Conception Academy Brigadiers as the Junior Olympians held on to beat their NCAA juniors counterparts to the tune of a 71 - 69 win. Arjay Napenas and John Parinas were the big guns who scored inside while Silverie, Delorino, Amparo and Sanchez each sank at least a three pointer to show the balanced scoring of the NAASCU Junior contenders.

Vincent Amparo was a force

both on offense and defense

The Junior Olympians blew hot and cold as they allowed the EAC squad to get back as they repeatedly turned the ball over after threatening to pull away. In the third quarter the Junior Olympians led 57 - 48 after Erven Silverie sank three three pointers which the EAC zone defense failed to neutralize. In the fourth quarter, the Junior Olympians big men were in foul trouble which prompted coach Hubert delos Santos to go small. The Brigadiers capitalized on this and crawled back until the final seconds where they missed three point blank field goals that would have sent the game into overtime. The Junior Olympians live to fight another day, next stop - the UST Tiger Cubs.

Arjay Napenas gets the rebound

The Scores

STI College Junior Olympians (71)

Napeñas 16, Pariñas 14, Silverie 14, Delorino 7, Sanchez 7, Amparo 6, Boquiran 4, Lucban 2, Pasos 1

EAC (69)

Mendoza 27, Superable 19, Padriones 10, Guinta 7, Manreza 2, Mayone 2

Quarterscores: 20 - 14, 35 - 35, 57 - 51, 71 -69