BAGUIO CITY – Headstart Elementary School bagged their second win in elementary basketball while YMCA nets one over Baguio Central University (BCU) in the high school division during November 5’s YMCA games at the YMCA Gym, here.
Like ants on the trail, Headstart came in with a quick offensive strategy coupled with their trap defense strategy over Puguis Elementary School in the first canto of play that gave them the lead at the end of the quarter, 8-5. Second canto action was even better for the Head Starters as they maintained their defensive strategies to force turnovers that limited Puguis to only six points against their twelve to increase their lead by nine points, 20-11, at the half.
Puguis, however, came out strong to the start of the third. They came up with their own trap defense strategy and controlled the boards to chip down the Headstart lead to just three points, 25-28, at the end of the third canto. Game excitement came to its climax during the fourth as both opponents displayed tenacity on the hardcourt that resulted to turnovers on both sides that made their coaches and supporters at the edge of their seats.
With only two minutes left in the game and the score tied at 31-all, both coaches tried to keep things on the highest level, defensively and offensively. Both teams scored again as the score remains at 33-all. Amid high expectations for an overtime, a surprising field conversion was made by the Head Starters to take the lead at 35-33 in the dying seconds. That resulted to a foul being given up by Puguis to send Headstart to the line for two conversions to ice the game by four, 37-33.
Meanwhile, YMCA nets a win over BCU in hotly contested game. YMCA edged BCU in the first canto with a two point advantage, 16-14, in a close match up. That continued into the second canto as they limited BCU in a 19-9 run to end the first half of play with a twelve point advantage, 33-21.
BCU gave the YMCA a dose of their own medicine with a great defensive strategy to start the third. They limited the YMCA to only seven points against their 17 to make the match closer with YMCA leading by only two at the end of the third canto buzzer.
A see-saw game sparked in the fourth quarter. With less than a tic to go, BCU had the advantage 52-51. A surprise three pointer was converted by YMCA to give them the lead, 54-52, but a foul was given up by the YMCA in a loose ball sending BCU to the line for a possible tie. The first throw was a success but the second fails to go which ended the game with YMCA the victor, 54-53.
Other winners in last week’s games were; HeadStart 31, Star College HS 24; BERKELEY HS 105, San Jose HS 52; UBSHS 84, AGP 51; UCGSHS 71, SLSC 49; SLSC-A 42, SLAH 47; BERKELEY 58, STAR 26; BCHNS 103, SLSC 66; PMS won over BCUHS by default; BERKELEY Pasarelle 75, UBSHS 66.
By: BOBBY VINLUAN