BTTHS vs. CSAV in Semis of 2nd UNBL aspirants

Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS) and Colegio De Sta. Ana De Victorias (CSAV) will advance to the semifinals of the 2nd United Negros Basketball League (UNBL) Aspirants Basketball Cup at the Willy and Nolita Au Court, BTTHS.

BTTHS came from behind to ground Trinity Christian School (TCS), 81-67 while CSAV dominated University of St. La Salle (USLS) in all quarters for an emphatic 92-57 victory.

TCS surprised BTTHS with a 41-35 lead at the break as John Joseph Gerardo and Klyde Dominic Malaga dropped 15 and 11 points respectively against Paul Adrian Barcelona 17 points and Aethan Kyle Pimentel 11 points.

Malaga, Andrei Lance Mallen and Mar Joseph Coronica joined hands to give TCS their biggest lead in the game at 55-43 with 3:57 left in the 3rdquarter but TCS only made 1 out of 6 free throw the rest of the quarter as BTTHS rallied behind Barcelona, Jameer Angelo Gapusan and Pimentel to cut the deficit by end of the 3rd quarter, 56-51.

Fatigue clearly caught up with TCS with key players cramping due to playing extended minutes, BTTHS pounced on the opportunity as Tobby Matthew Orbista gave BTTHS its 1st lead in the game at 60-59, Malaga responded with a trifecta to give TCS its last lead in the game, but the advantage was immediately erased by a Ronald Miguel Delada triple with 7 minutes left in the game.

BTTHS went on an offensive juggernaut limiting TCS to 5 points while sprinting away with 18 points to book the semifinals seat.

Acster Player of the game Barcelona scored 29 points, backstopped by Pimentel 20, Orbista produced 12, Gapusan delivered 7 and Delada had 5 points.

Malaga paced TCS with 23 points, Gerardo dropped 15, Theo Ernest Roa and Charles Lebron Sta. Ana contributed 8 markers apiece; Mallen scored 6 and Coronica had 5 points.

Meanwhile in the curtain raiser CSAV chalked up its 5th straight double digit victory and is peaking at the right time for its semifinals encounter.

Aniceto Docto and Efren Manday delivered 12 and 11 points respectively to erect a 50-29 lead in the 1st half.

Gian Alexis Vasquez and John Carl Lamonte combined for 15 points for USLS.

Docto was forced to sit out the majority of 2nd half as he was hobbled with foul trouble but USLS did not made much headway as CSAV extended the lead anew behind a balance offense led by the 8 markers of Manday.

Kevin Sonido and Rhojun Tenacio dropped 8 markers apiece and took over in the payoff quarter as CSAV limited USLS to 11 points with 7 points coming from John Paul Cabayao.

Acster Player of the Game Manday finished with 21 points; Sonido made 18, Tenacio knocked down 13, Gabrilled Soberano supplied 11, Zaijan Sarmiento and Leo Villaester shot 7 points apiece.

USLS was led by Cabayao with 14 points, Lamonte tallied 11, Vasquez scored 8, Reagan Charles Jamero dropped 7, Rush Williams made 6 and Restituto Abaring III with 5 points.

CSAV will meet St. John’s institute at 3 pm to be followed by BTTHS against Colegio De Sta. Ana De Victorias at 430 pm on January 27, 2024 at the same venue. The winners will meet for the championship the following day.* (Cyrus M. Garde, Sr./Stephen Tan)