12th Basketball Showdown Opens

Seven STI Colleges answered the call

The STI 12th Basketball Showdown went underway at the STI College Global City in Taguig as simple ceremonies were ushered in to open the event. This year, seven teams will battle in a one round format with the top four teams fighting over the finals slot. It will just be a winner take all affair for the championship. The new teams this year are STI College Caloocan and STI College Malolos with STI College Novaliches returning after a year of inactivity.

Ruzel Parala of STI College Santa Rosa

on the drive

Two time defending champion STI College Santa Rosa opened their bid for a third straight title with a 72 – 47 win over newcomer STI College Caloocan. Shooting guards Ruzzel Parala and Louise Bondoc carried the fight for the Laguna based cagers as the two shooters scattered 14 and 10 points respectively. Both teams started slowly as the defending champions raced to a 10 – 6 lead but later could not convert on their fastbreaks that made the Caloocan cagers come back and be at striking distance after one quarter 14 – 12. The defending champs eventually pushed on the pedal as they defended well and finally converted on their fastbreaks that put a little distance against the Caloocan team as the first half ended 33 – 22. The defending champs cruised the rest of the way to win a mile away 72 – 47. Patrick Navarro and Aljon Salangsang led the way for the fallen Caloocan team with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Alvin Detubio of STI College Malolos

squeezes one in

In the second game the Bulacan based STI College Malolos cagers unveiled their impeccable team work and running game to cruise past the STI College Novaliches team 80 – 53. Jovito Quetua 18 pts, Abram Pineda 15 pts, Alvin Detubio 13 pts and Jonathan Teraña 13 pts, led the balanced attack of the Malolos based cagers as the Novaliches team groped for form. Pineda started the ball rolling as he scored six points in transition to give the Bulakeños an early 19 - 9 lead. After the first quarter, Quetua attacked the inside while Detubio and Terana ran rings around their defenders to give the Malolos team a 41 – 23 lead by halftime. In the end the lead was so insurmountable that even the combined 34 points of Edison Tulipas, Mark Banda and Vincent Cuenca was not whittle down the 27 point lead.

Battle of the Big men

Villegas (Taft) vs. Ken Baquiran (Global City)

In the final game of the day, the STI College Global City dribblers eked out a hard earned 80 – 72 win against STI College Taft. Junior Olympian Jim Lontoc paced the Global City squad with 23 points but it was the two dagger three pointers by Edcel Lagrimas in the last two minutes that broke apart the close game which eventually went the way of the host school. The Taft five battled tooth and nail and only faltered in the final 2 minutes as their troika of Kenneth San Juan, Lloyd Cagampang and Mr. STI 2011 Jason Villegas proved to be hard to stop for the Global City squad. The two teams were tied after the first quarter, 20-all, tied again in the half 40-all and only two points apart 55 – 57 (Taft) after three quarters. San Juan led all scorers with 27 points on the strength of his six three pointers.

Be there when the action unfolds next Sunday at the STI College Global City Gym.