LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Puguis reached the finals of all the brackets of the first ever La Trinidad Mayor’s Cup Basketball Competitions and barely missed the sweep as they took home three of the four championships the tournament offered last February 19, 2017 at the La Trinidad, Municipal Gym.
Their wins, however, had to be earned the hard way as their 12-15 and 15-34 teams had to cook come-from-behind victories to do the trick.
Kenneth Ancheta, Kenneth Antonio and John Rey Valdez combined during the dying minutes to hand the 12-15 bracket trophy to Puguis while Henry Dongla and Dexter Agustin did the same to thwart upset-conscious Betag in the battle for the 16-34 jewel.
Poblacion was leading the 12-15 championship match 82-75 with just over three minutes to go in the fourth when Valdez converted two baskets and Antonio became aggressive in attacking the basket.
Antonio completed a steal that was converted to a triple, drove to the hoop where the Poblacion defense denied him a basket, and knocked in a triple himself to propel Puguis went on an 11-4 tear to knot the count at 86-all before lighting at the venue induce a 15-minute truce.
When the lights came back, Valdez and Ancheta took over to hand Puguis the win.
Valdez dished for the 88th point and grabbed two crucial rebounds, an offensive rebound to give an extra possession to Puguis at the 50 second mark and a defensive rebound of a Poblacion free throw miss at the 25 second mark.
Ancheta took over the rest of the way, completing a three-point play to go up 91-86, with 18 seconds to go and seal the win.
Puguis sealed the game with a free throw for a final score of 92-90.
Poblacion averts sweep in LT Mayor’s Cup
Rommel Basali scored 18 while Jonathan Agayas had 15 points in the first three quarters to star for Betag in engaging the 35 Up Puguis team to a nip-and-tuck affair for the period. Jerry Danglipen and Stanford Garcia held the fort for Puguis in a contest that saw Betag slightly up after the third, 60-58.
The full court press that Puguis had been employing since five minutes into the second quarter began to work its magic. As Betag’s starters show signs of being gassed, Puguis began pressing the accelerator pedal in a move to pull away.
Agustin scored six points while Dongla and Jhong Del Rosario added a triple each to tow Puguis to a tear early in the fourth that will put separation in this war of attrition.
Dongla pulled a steal that resulted to a Charlie Lubuat basket and to cap a 14-7 run that made it 72-64, midway through the fourth.
Basali answered the run with a triple to cut the lead to five but Puguis response came from Agustin, who dumped a bucket over the outstretch arms of Jack Sobrino, and another one off a Del Rosario feed, and Dongla, who poured in five points from a twinner and a three-point play to move up further by 14, 81-67, 4:43 to goand take the fight away from Betag.
Both teams traded baskets the rest of the way for an 87-76 final score.
Betag had to overcame a twice to beat disadvantage against Poblacion to advance to the finals.
Earlier in the day the 11-under team of Puguis outhustled Camp Dangwa, 49-26, to complete the three gold haul of Puguis in the tournament organized by La Trinidad Mayor Romeo K. Salda and Jonathan Ledda.
See photos of the Mayor’s Cup: (Sports Action in Full Color)
The scores (35 Up):
Puguis 87: Henry Dongla 24, Stanford Garcia 15, Jerry Danglipen 15, Dexter Agustin 14, Charlie Lubuat 8, Butch Diaz 5, Alex Calimodag 3, Jhong Del Rosario 3, Juan Antonio.
Betag 78: Jonathan Agayas 21, Rommel Basali 21, Christopher Sinong 15, Jack Sobrino 13, Markie Mat-an 4, Ronald Palacio 2, Manny Basilan, Dionisio Canipas.
3pt shots made: Dongla 1, Danglipen 1, Diaz 1, Del Rosario 1, Basali 3.
Quarterscores: 15-20, 38-40, 58-60, 87-78.