STI West Negros University - 2016 STI National Basketball Tournament National Champions
In
the 80’s there was a period of crisis that engulfed the city of Bacolod. In
the midst of the tragic events that happened, the local government of Bacolod
decided to hold a festival of smiles because they believe that the festival was
a declaration by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the
times were, Bacolod is going to pull through, survive and in the end triumph.
The National Finals at the STI Academic Center Ortigas-Cainta
Mirroring
the tough times of the city of Bacolod was the experience that the Mustangs of
STI West Negros University went through last year in the 2015 STI National
Basketball Tournament. Their heartbreaking loss to STI College
Santa Rosa was a tough pill to swallow and the road back to redemption was a
long arduous one. But just like their co-Bacolodnons, the STI West Negros
basketball team promised their school management that no matter how hard it was
for them to get back lost glory, they will pull through, survive and hopefully
become triumphant. That promise eventually came true as the STI West Negros
University Mustangs beat the hard fighting STI College Malolos Falcons 83 - 74
to win the 2016 STI National Basketball Tournament National Championship.
Arche Salo on the drive
STI
College Malolos just came from its best game in the 2016 STI NBT after it beat
STI College Santa Rosa yesterday. The Falcons were poised to rewrite history
and spoil STI West Negros University’s date with destiny as the Bulacan based
dribblers played the same way and did not leave any stone unturned in their
game. STI College Malolos came out with guns blazing as they seized control of
the game in first quarter thanks to their tight defense on the main guns of
West Negros John Mc Hale Nermal and Renz Solomon who both went 1 of 5. On the
other side of the court the Malolos guards Arche Salo and Dario Gatchalian got
their game going to give the Bulakenyos a 23 – 16 first quarter lead.
The Tower of Power Kelbert Victoria
In
the second quarter STI College Malolos showed that they are not pushovers as
they battled the West Negros team on equal footing and then unleashed their
vaunted offense. After JV Veloso scored on a three pointer with 6:50 left in
the half to cut the Malolos lead to four 21 – 25, Dario Gatchalian, Dave Cruz
and Kelbert Victoria combined to drop a 17 – 10 bomb to take an eleven point
lead 42 – 31 with two minutes left. STI West Negros sued for time, regrouped
and answered the Malolos run with a 10 – 2 run of their own capped by the three
pointers of Roy Villarias and Kobe Vizcarra. The half ended with STI West
Negros narrowing the gap 44 – 41 at the end of the two quarters, this is the
only game in the National Finals that the Mustangs are not leading at the half.
Renz Solomon scores on the fastbreak
The
third quarter saw STI West Negros University take control of the game as the
diminutive point guard Renz Solomon came to life and to the rescue of the West
Negros team. From a 48 – all standstill, the Mustangs suddenly came to life and
seized the upper hand 66 – 53 and threatened to break the game open at the end
of the third period until Ralph Bonifacio and Dave Cruz breathed life to the
Falcons waning chances and the third quarter ended with the West
Negros team ahead 66 - 57.
The Sensational Mac Nermal skies high
In
the fourth quarter, it was STI College Malolos’s time to come back and just
like a bad nightmare, the Bulakenyos rose from the dead to come back to tie the
score at 71 – all with 3 minutes and 28 seconds left. Mark Lester
Tamayo, Kelbert Victoria and Dave Cruz would simply not surrender as the trio
breathed life into the Malolos offense. Just when STI College Malolos tied the
game, John Mc Hale Nermal and Renz Solomon presided over a 12 – 3 closing run
capped by five free throws in the last 38 seconds to put the game away as
the STI West Negros squad stood by their promise that the National Title will
rest at Negros Occidental.
Ralph Bonifacio scores on this undergoal stab
Renz
Solomon, Kobe Bryan Vizcarra and John McHale Nermal of STI West Negros
University together with Mark Lester Tamayo and Kelbert Victoria were all
chosen to the Mythical 5. This year the Most Valuable Player of the tournament
is John McHale Nermal as he topped the statistical race for the MVP.
The 2016 STI NBT Mythical 5: (L-R)
Kelbert Victoria, Lester Tamayo,
Renz Solomon, Kobe Vizcarra, John Nermal
A
lot of people say that adversity brings out the best or worst in you. Only
eleven members of the West Negros team went to the National finals since one of
the players was disallowed by school management to join them because of
disciplinary reasons. In sporting events like this you need every help you can
get but for the STI WNU management it was a tough decision to make considering
that the player they did not allow to join plays the center position. But as
they say in the midst of adversity they stood by their values and never blinked
an eye to do what is right and not what is more comfortable. This is the story
of the STI West Negros University Mustangs, the 2016 STI National basketball
Tournament National Champions.
STI ESG Vice-President for Corporate and Information Services, Mr. John Tubongbanua awards the MVP trophy to John Mc Hale Nermal of STI West Negros University
The scores:
STI WEST NEGROS UNIVERSITY (83)
Nermal
17, Solomon 17, Galvez 13, Veloso 10, Villarias 7, Vizcarra 6, Sajo 5, Belocura
4, Pastias 1,
STI COLLEGE MALOLOS (74)
Tamayo
14, Cruz D. 11, Gatchalian 11, Bonifacio 10, Victoria 10, Salo 10, Pujante 8, Encarnacion
0, Bautista 0, Santos 0,
Quarter
scores:
16
– 23, 41 – 44, 66 – 57, 83 - 74
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