THE eighth Seaoil-National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National High School Championship went full blast on Friday at the Ynares Sports Arena (YSA), with Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu posting back-to-back wins and advancing to the six-team semifinals on Saturday.
Cebu crushed Naga City Montessori, 100-61, in the morning at the Meralco Gym before moving to the YSA in the afternoon, where the Cebuanos routed Assumption College of Davao, 83-64, after the opening ceremony. The free-flowing game was tight in the first few minutes, but Cebu eventually seized control of the pace, racing to a 54-28 lead at halftime.
Joshua Sinclair led Ateneo de Cebu with 30 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, while Felix Jaboneta, the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. Most Valuable Player, added 12 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Robi Nayve paced Assumption Davao with 20 points. Defending champion Chiang Kai Shek College, meanwhile, made short work of University of Cordilleras-Baguio, 115-54, while six-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champion San Beda College ripped Maryhill College from Lucena, 67-55, both at the PhilSports Arena.
Divided into six groups with teams from each pool playing one round robin, the top six of the tournament, backed by the MVP Sports Foundation and which serves as the official grassroots development program of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), advance to the next round, with the qualifiers from Groups A, D and E in one pool and those from Groups B, C and F in another for a single-round play. The top teams from either pool then meet in the championship
Bracketed in Group A are San Beda-B, Laguna and Zamboanga; Group B has NU, Tarlac and Iloilo; Group C has San Beda-A, Lucena and Zambales; Group D has Chiang Kai Shek College, Baguio and Bacolod; Group E has Cebu, Davao and Naga; and Group F has Cavite, Pampanga and Cagayan de Oro. The six semifinal matches will be played at the YSA today starting at 8 a.m., while three International Basketball Federation-endorsed three-on-three matches are set at the Meralco Gym from 8 in the morning.
Inaugural day matches at the YSA also saw San Beda-B dumping University of Perpetual Help System from Biñan, Laguna, 96-58, and National Universiity demolished Gerona Institute from Tarlac, 133-49.
A second morning game at the Meralco gym had Lyceum from South Cavite edging Infant Jesus Learning Center for Academic Studies from San Fernando, Pampanga, 88-86.
Bernie Atienza, deputy executive director of the SBP, paid tribute to the organizers of the tournament during his welcome remarks.
“This is a very noble tournament in the grassroots level and we at the SBP are very happy that we have such a competition,” Atienza said. Businessman-sportsman Joel Lopa, president of Tao Corp., was honored for his pioneering efforts in the fledgling National Basketball Training Center and told participants during the parade of teams the NBTC “teaches not only basketball but also life’s lessons through teamwork, sportsmanship and character.” Ateneo Blue Eagle Keifer Ravena, in his inspirational message, urge the country’s top high-school players to “enjoy the moment” and do everything in their power to be competitive.”
Image credits: Kevin dela Cruz