Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS) Team – A was crowned champion of the 1st United Negros Basketball League Aspirants Basketball Cup 2023, Saturday, at the BTTHS Po Hang Gymnasium.
BTTHS dominated both ends of the court to overwhelm STI West Negros University (STI-WNU), 71-52. Throughout the tournament, BTTHS remained unbeaten after 10 straight outings, with all victories at least double digits.
MVP Adrian James Alagaban scored 19 points to lead the BTTHS-A onslaught. Defense also played an import part of the victory, as they limited STI-WNU without any points for several stretches in the game.
Kyle Matthew Barrieta continued where he left off in the last semis rubber match, scoring 9 of the first quarter’s 11 points for STI-WNU as he led the battle against a balanced BTTHS offense that held an early lead. A Kyle Francis Bayong layup tied the game at 16-all with 1:52 left in the opening quarter.
Alagaban and Dave Matthew Recodo presided over a 13-0 run that bridged the 1st and 2nd quarters to take a 29-16 lead. STI-WNU stopped the bleeding temporarily by scoring 3 points, but BTTHS kept the momentum as Alagaban engineered another 10-2 run, where STI-WNU didn’t help themselves by missing 6 straight free throws during that stretch.
Two Rey Frederick Uy free throws established the biggest lead of the 1sthalf at 20, before Cian Renier Gumacal and Ed Christein Marinduquecut the deficit at the break which ended with a score of 41-25.
Alagaban delivered 15 points in the 1st 2 quarters, with 10 straight points at one stretch, backstopped by Recodo’s 11 and Ahron John Cagayao’s6.
The BTTHS offense slowed down in the opening 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter, but it hardly mattered as STI-WNU was also held scoreless during this stretch, until Brent Jandy Yanong broke the drought withaput back at the 4:37 mark of the quarter.
In a quarter where BTTHS outscored STI-WNU anew 16-12, Francis John Lamasan scored all his 9 points in the quarter, making a big contribution for BTTHS as the lead ballooned to 57-37 going to the 4th quarter.
Another dry spell hounded STI-WNU during the first 2½ minutes of the payoff quarter as BTTHS established their biggest lead in the game, 61-37. Barrietta broke the dry spell at the 7:23 mark but Oñate scored on back to back undergoal stabs to keep STI-WNU at bay with a 23-point lead. BTTHS maintained the lead at more than 20 until a mini STI-WNU run settled the final score.
For BTTHS, Cagayao added 10 pts., Alfred Ysualan Jr. – 7, Uy – 5, Oñate and Joaquim Chuatico – 4 each.
Barrieta paced STIWNU with 13 markers, Yanong and Andrei Louise Sto. Tomas contributed7 each, Gonzales drilled 6, while Kurt Daniel Rebadomiaand Bayog had 4 apiece.
SJI VS USLS
Meanwhile, St. Johns Institute (SJI) Team A grabbed 2nd runner up honors after a 97-53 trouncing of University of St. La Salle (USLS). Roberto Antonio Rojas bannered SJI with 21 points, Ryton Celis – 18, Ethan Matthew Ramirez – 15, and Lorenzo Joaquin Lacson – 12.
Reagan Charles Jamero and Luis Andrei Lirazan led USLS with 9 points apiece, while Vinz Krhystoff Lapore dropped 8 points.
Alagaban and Recodo made it to the 1st team Mythical 5, where they were joined by Barrieta, Santino Miguel Loretizo of SJI-A and John Troy Newman of USLS.
UNBL also recognized its 2nd team Mythical 5 which was led by Jameer Angelo Gapusan of St. Joseph School – La Salle, Jester Paypa of Luisa Medel National High School, Kevin Sonido of Bata National High School, Jeff Soqueño from Bacolod City National High School, and George Agnes from the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos.
In a message, UNBL President Jun Ballesteros said, “On behalf of the UNBL family, I wish to thank all the participating teams for the success of the recently concluded 1st UNBL Aspirants Cup. Likewise, thank you to my UNBL family for all the support and hard work in staging this tournament. Rest assured that we will continue our grassroots development efforts for our young basketball talents with the right character and discipline.”*
