STI West Negros University (STI-WNU) foiled St. John’s Institute (SJI) Team A bid to upset the former with a final score of 81-76 in the semifinals rubber match in the 1st United Negros Basketball League Aspirants Basketball Cup at the Luis T. Ong Sports Pavilion at the SJI Ayala Talisay campus.
As a result of the win, STI-WNU will face Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS) in the championship match to be held Saturday 530 pm, while SJI-A battles University of St. La Salle (USLS) for 3rd place in the 430 pm game at the BTTHS Gym.
Kyle Matthew Barrieta sizzled with 25 points to lead STI-WNU, while Jovel Thomas Gonzales connected on 6 triples for 19 markers, and Kyle Francis Bayog scored 16.
Barrieta held the fort for STI-WNU in the 4th quarter, as he went berserk, delivering 15 of the team’s 19 point. After Barrieta gave his team a 66-53 lead, Lorenzo Joaquin Lacson, Jose Miguel Sy and Ryton Celis led a rally to cut the deficit to 72-67 by the 4:10 mark.
Barrieta banged in a triple and Bayog added 2 from the charity stripe to stretch their advantage to 77-70, but Lacson and Santino Miguel Loretizo found a way to cut the deficit to 3. With less than 2 minutes left in the game, SJI-A missed its chances to draw closer. Loretizo could have tied the game on a 3-point play, but was called for an offensive foul with 1:41 left in the game, and in the ensuing possession, Lacson muffed his free throws. Both teams the went scoreless, until the 33 second mark, when Barrieta nailed a free throw and then followed it up with a triple to seal the finals berth for STI-WNU.
A balanced STI-WNU offense countered the 9 points of Loretizo in the opening quarter to take a slim 18-17 lead. In the 2nd quarter, Bayog engineered an STIWNU breakaway, with 8 markers, backstopped by Barrieta and Gonzales who combined for 9 points to take the biggest lead of the game at 37-22, before settling for a 40-30 lead at the break.
In the 3rd canto, Gonzales caught fire, nailing 4 straight triples to erect a 41-55 lead with 1:47 left in the quarter. Lacson and Tabby Aldwin Espartero combined for 13 as the quarter ended, 53-62.
Loretizo paced SJI-A with 17 points, Lacson – 16, Sy – 11, Celis – 10, Tristan Valencia – 6, Espartero and Shaun Ryan Canino – 5 each.*
