John Nermal drives to the basket
The STI West Negros University team made sure that
another reversal in the cross-over semifinals will not happen as the Visayas
Champions beat the Minadanao champions 74 – 53 to advance to the championship
game of the 2016 STI National Basketball Tournament. Last year both teams
battled for third place, this year one is marching on to the National Finals
and a chance to redeem themselves from last year’s unfortunate meltdown.
Norman Puerto hangs in mid-air
STI College Koronadal started the game with an
upset on their minds as Norman Puerto scored eight points to start the quarter
to give the South Cotabato team a 16 – 6 lead in the first six minutes of play.
This is the first time that a team has gotten a 10 point lead against the West
Negros team and the Koronadal squad was smelling a big monumental upset is
about to happen.
Dan Ignacio lays it in
Unfortunately for the Mindanao champs, MVP
frontrunner John Mc Hale Nermal had other plans in his mind as he single
handedly bringing back the Negrenses back to the game by scoring 11 points in
the first quarter. The first 10 minutes ended with STI College Koronadal on top
18 – 15. This was the first time STI WNU trailed during the first
quarter.
Renz Solomon drives to the hoop
Come the second quarter, Nermal went full blast as
his offense picked-up and the West Negros offensive machine suddenly came to
life. Nermal scored 14 second quarter points
which was capped by two three pointers and fastbreak points to give the the
West Negros team the upperhand. With the score slowly piling up with
the pace of a snail, Nermal went to work once again by scoring on two three
pointers and a drive to the hoop. From a 24 – 22 lead, Nermal
scored 8 eight points while point guard Renz Solomon sank another three to
ignite an 11 – 0 run to give the STI West Negros team a 35 – 23 halftime lead.
Nermal scores again
The third and fourth quarter there were no
different stories as STI West Negros stepped on their pedal to put their
offense into maximum overdrive and putting their defense into full gear which
made STI College Koronadal score only 7 points in the third quarter. STI WNU
coasted along the fourth quarter as the team from Bacolod finally barged in to
the National Finals where they will meet the team they beat yesterday – STI
College Malolos.
Another fastbreak for Puerto
The scores:
STI WEST NEGROS UNIVERSITY (74)
Nermal 29, Solomon 13, Vizcarra 8, Sajo
6, Adjie 4, Galvez 4, Veloso 4, Villarias 4, Belocura 2,
Cadase 0, Pastias 0
STI COLLEGE KORONADAL (53)
Caguisano Jr.18, Puerto 15, Sulit 6, Castillo 4,
Famulag 4, Valencia 4, Ignacio 2, Caugisano J. 0, Morte 0, Libdan 0, Soliva 0,
Quarter scores:
15 – 18, 35 – 22, 54 – 27, 74 - 53
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