STI WNU debuts with a win over STI College Malolos

Renz Solomon of STI WNU scores on a lay up

A lot of people believe in the saying that height is might in Basketball! A lot might agree but that is not the case with the 5 foot5 lead point guard of the STI West Negros University team Renz Solomon. The diminutive Bacolod native ran rings around all defenders thrown at him and sparked the second quarter run of the team known as the Mustangs to give them a hard earned 84 – 65 win against STI College Malolos – the team known as the Falcons.

Carlo Jimenez scores on a drive

Solomon scored 19 points, had six assists, a steal and even though he is the smallest among all players, he still managed to pull down 9 rebounds.  The two teams stood by together at the first quarter with neither team getting the upperhand until the second quarter came.  The Mustangs unleashed their running game, solid defense and inside presence. The Bacolod City cagers had 48 points inside the paint as opposed to only 34 by the Bulacan based Falcons.

Big men collision

There was ample support too coming from his Visayan brothers as Kraniel Villoria, Jhan Mac Nermal and Kobe Bryan Vizcarra pounded the paint and made it hard for Malolos’s 6’5 center John Kelbert Victoria to defend the paint. The trio combined for 40 points and 33 rebounds as the STI West Negros Team outrebounded the Bulacan team 49 - 43.  Nermal also had 4 block shots to got with the 9 rebounds he had.

Mustang defense

STI College Malolos shot poorly from the field. They actually had more field goal attempts but only sank 28 of 91 shots as against the 35 for 70 clip of the Mustangs.  Although the STI WNU team had more turnovers (23 – 15) they made up for this by having more assists 17 – 11 and blocks 9 – 0.  Glenn Bautista and Carlo Jimenez carried the fight for STI College Malolos as the duo scored 17 and 15 points respectively. Jimenez also got 6 assists and 5 steals. Victoria led the rebounding parade with 12 rebounds.

Arche Salo on the fastbreak

Box scores:

STI WNU (84)

Solomon 19, Villoria 16, Nermal 12, Vizcarra 12, Belocura 9, Pasitas 8, Dunlap 4, Cadase 4, Arandes 0, Pajanconi 0, Yap 0

STI College Malolos (65)

Bautista 17, Jimenez 15, Cruz 9, Bonifacio 8, Victoria 8, Salo 4, Sayo 4, Dizon 0, Gatchalian 0, Tamayo 0

Quarter scores:

18 – 15, 39 – 27, 61 – 49, 84 - 65