Four straight for STI College Santa Rosa
Champions are not born overnight,
they are usually a product of a lot of hardwork. That was what STI College
Santa Rosa showed yesterday as they beat the upset conscious STI College
Malolos team 69 -47 to win their fourth straight STI basketball Showdown
title. STI College Santa Rosa has lost
three MVPs to graduation but this year a new MVP rose to the occassion as Mark
Arzola showed the way for the Laguna based Santa Rosa cagers. Arzola finished the game with 13 points, 6
rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals which was enough to give him the MVP which was
based on the tournament statistics.
Detubio scores
The Laguna based Santa Rosa cagers started out like a house
on fire as they pressured the Bulacan based STI College Malolos team from the
opening tip. The result was an 8 – 0 start for the three time defending
champions. The Santa Rosa team came prepared,
pumped up and was more energetic than their counterparts. The result was a 27 – 9 first quarter lead
that eventually ended at 38 – 19 at the end of the first half as the Malolos
squad came back with better defense and better ball handling in the second
quarter.
MVP Mark Arzola sizzles for two
The Santa Rosa cagers also limited the high scoring mythical
five selectee Alvin Detubio who averaged 26 points in his last three games with
two of those against last year’s runner – up and their sister team, STI College
Balagtas. Detubio always had a two Santa Rosa guards guarding him and had to bleed
for the 18 points he produced. Also
contained was another Mythical 5 selectee, Guard Carlo Jimenez who was also
instrumental in their final four run, Jimenez lead all players in assists this
year. The Santa Rosa guard rotation of
Reb Maunahan, Ken Batiquin, Robert Salazar and Raul Guerrero took turns in
pressuring the Malolos guards.
Carlo Jimenez of STI College Malolos
drives to the hoop
The game was never close as team Santa Rosa quelled every
rally made by their malolos counterparts. This is the first time that the Santa
Rosa team has won the title via a rout. Going back in their three clinching
victories, Team Santa Rosa won by four, one and two points in the three years
they reigned and now a possiblity of tying De Los Santos STI which won 5
straight is the next target of the hard fighting Laguna based STI College Santa
Rosa team.
undergoal action
Voted to the Mythical 5 are Detubio and Jimenez of STI
College Malolos, Paolo Andres of STI College Balagtas, Guerrero and Arzola of
STI College Santa Rosa with Arzola getting the MVP plum. With the balanced
scoring of team Santa Rosa, the organizers had a hard time selecting the MVP
since there wasn’t a single cager who was head over heels over the others,
everyong contributed their share with Arzola coming out as the most consistent
in the whole tournament. Congratulations to STI College Santa Rosa.
STI COLLEGE
SANTA ROSA (69)
Guerero 14, Salazar
14, Arzola 13, Ferrer 6, Maunahan 5, Caraan 5, Batiquin 4, Mamaed 4, del
Rosario 2, Capacete 2, Sayao 0, Lizen 0, Fudotan 0, Almoro 0, Romero 0,
STI COLLEGE
MALOLOS (47)
Detubio 18, Jimenez 9, Sumeracruz 8, Cruz 4, Pineda 4,
Marcelo 3, Victoria 1, Ecleo 0, Hernandez 0,
Quarter scores:
27 – 9, 38 – 19, 57 – 39, 69 - 47
