STI College Global City gets its second win

Easy two points for Jim Lontoc

STI College Global City played with fire and almost got burned as the gritty STI College Koronadal team pushed them to the wall but unfortunately lost steam in the end. The Global City squad again got the breaks in the end to escape with a 71 – 61 win which virtually pushed the Taguig based squad to the finals of the STI National Basketball Tournament National Finals.  The last game of the Global City squad is STI College Ortigas-Cainta which got booted out after absorbing their second loss.

Jayson Estares scores on this jumper

The game started with STI College Global City firing on all cylinders with Jim Lontoc hitting a three pointer and Jansen Pangilinan scoring inside at will and Mike Sampurna scoring on fast breaks and just like that the Global City team was on top 18 - 7 with 3:13 left. The STI College Koronadal team eventually sued for time, regrouped and came out with fire in their eyes as their no nonsense defense and more fluid offense cut the Global City lead after the first quarter. It ended with Global City on top 24 -16.  The Koronadal team’s bench outscored the Global City squad’s bench 18 – 6 to cut the Global city lead at the half 41 – 35. 

Mike Sampurna scores on this

Just when the Global City team was about to break away, the annoying defense of the Koronadal team got into them making them miss on fast breaks and made the Taguig based team bleed for their points.  The Global City team went up 48 – 39 but then again faltered when the Koronadal team cut their lead 44 – 48 on a three pointer by Elmer Palmes with 3:10 to go.  Then the third quarter ended with the Global City team having a hard time providing separation for them and the team from Koronadal. 

Pangilinan was the difference

After Elmer Labis scored off a rebound with 7:37 left in the game and the Global City squad ahead 57 – 49, the Mindanao champions countered with a 9 – 2 run to cut the lead to one 58 – 59 with 4:27 left after.  The Global City team sued time and then went exclusively to the paint as Pangilinan and Labis combined for six points to give more space for the Global City team 67 – 58. Jim Lontoc then finished off the Koronadal team with two unmolested fastbreaks to put the game beyond recall. This is the lowest score the Global City team had in the tournament.

Loose ball battle

The Box Scores

STI COLLEGE GLOBAL CITY (71)

Pangilinan 22, Lontoc 17, Labis 11, Sampurna 11, Veluz 8, Cudal 2, Baldoza 0, King 0, Lumelay 0, Napeñas  0,

STI COLLEGE KORONADAL (61)

Lopez 13, Estares 12, Libdan 7, Ignacio 6, Palmes 6, Puerto 4, Sulit 4, Valencia 4, Caguisano B. 3, Orocio 2, Caguisano J. 0,

Quarter Scores:

24 – 16, 41 – 35, 53 – 47, 71 - 61