Henry Liao

VENUE
Chiang Kai Shek College Gymnasium

DATE
February 25, 2013

RESULT
Finals Game 2

Xavier School 80 – Hope Christian High School 74 (series tied, 1-1)
Quarter Scores: 18-14, 30-38, 54-55, 80-74

STATISTICS

XS
Kyles Lao (31 points, 9-of-16 FGA, 13-of-13 FTA, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal), Jarrell Lim (18 points, including 16 in the first half, 6-of-11 FGA, 5-of-8 FTA, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal), Gian Go (7 points and 3 rebounds), Isaac Go (7 points, 3-of-8 FGA, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks), Anton Lapez (6 points, 2-of-4 3FGA, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal), Paolo Susmerano (4 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists), Jacob Ejercito (1-of-1 3FGA, 1 rebound and 1 steal), Tyler Tio (2 points and 1-of-1 FGA), Louis Cu (2 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist), Donald Felbaum (0 point and 3 rebounds), Mark Chan (0 point and 1 rebound) and Luis Fernando (0 point).

HCHS
Arjan Dela Cruz (16 points, 7-of-14 FGA, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 7 turnovers), Jobert Mercado (15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals), Jollo Go (12 points, 4-of-17 FGA, 2-of-13 3FGA. 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal), John Apacible (10 points, 5-of-7 FGA, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks), Leo Guion (10 points, 3-of-9 FGA, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals), Mark Nuñez (5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal), Jeffrey Siybauco (3 points), Kenneth Sumalacay (2 points), Jomari Tubiano (1 point, 4 rebounds and 1 block) and James Galoso (0 point and 2 rebounds).

Team Statistics:

XS 26-of-53 FGA (.491), 4-of-8 3FGA (.500), 24-of-31 FTA (.774), 37 rebounds
HCHS 29-of-72 FGA (.403), 5-of-19 3FGA (.263), 11-of-16 FTA (.688), 37 rebounds

XS 20 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 24 turnovers, 28 points off 22 HCHS turnovers
HCHS 12 assists, 9 steals, 3 blocks, 22 turnovers, 22 points off 24 XS turnovers

NOTES
The decisive Game Three of the best-of-three Juniors Finals will be played on Thursday, February 25 … Xavier School has been involved in each of the last four Finals that went the maximum three-game route – vs. St. Stephen’s High School (1-2) in 2005, vs. Chiang Kai Shek College (2-1) in 2008 and vs. Hope Christian High School (2-1) in 2011 and this season … Hope Christian High School is looking to end two decades of futility with a first-ever Juniors crown since 1993 … Xavier School seeks to capture its fifth Juniors crown in six years … Game Two was a game of spurts and the largest lead for either side was seven points… HCHS got off to a 7-0 start, but XS scored the next eight points to go up, 8-7 … HCHS grabbed the upperhand, 12-8, on five consecutive points, including a triple by Jeffrey Siybauco. Jarrell Lim, who tallied a measly six markers in the series opener won by HCHS, 74-66, clustered six straight points and Isaac Go made a basket as XS took the first quarter, 18-14 … HCHS opened the second quarter with another 7-0 run to go up, 21-18 … There were deadlocks at 12-12, 21-21 and 38-38 (after XS had taken a 38-31 lead) before Lim gave XS a slim 40-38 advantage at halftime. Kyles Lao had 17 points in the first 20 minutes (6-of-11 FGA, 5-of-5 FTA) while his sidekick Lim totalled 16 on 6-of-8 field shooting. Jobert Mercado came off the bench to score eight markers for HCHS … XS was ahead 44-38 early in the third quarter when HCHS put together another 7-0 blast on baskets by Mercado, John Apacible and Arjan Dela Cruz to regain the advantage, 45-44 … After Lao scored for the Gold and Blue for a 46-45 lead, Hope Christian knocked in eight consecutive points on fielders by Jollo Go, Mercado, Apacible (four points) to zoom ahead, 53-46. It was still 55-48 when XS finished the third quarter with a 6-0 run to trail by just one point, 55-54, entering the fourth period … Gian Go and Lao each had a pair of free throws as XS regained the upperhand, 58-55. A triple by Jollo Go deadlocked the score at 58-58 and a long two again from Go put HCHS again on the driver’s seat, 60-58 … Just as quickly, Jacob Ejercito surprisingly connected on a three-pointer and Lao had a fielder as the Golden Stallions of rookie mentor Jerome Oliva went up, 63-60 … Mercado equalized the count at 63-63 at the 7:49 mark … Brothers Gian Go and Isaac Go had two free throws and a jumphook, respectively, as Xavier School moved ahead once more, 67-63 … Mark Nuñez connected on a trifecta and following a Gian Go freebie, Dela Cruz forced the sixth and final deadlock of the game, 68-68, time down to 5:17 … Louis Cu scored underneath the basket, Lao made a piar of charity shots and Susmerano completed a fastbreak as Xavier School grabbed a 74-68 advantage at the 3:44 mark … Three free throws by Dela Cruz and Leo Guion closed HCHS’s deficit to three, 74-71, but Anton Lapez knocked in second triple with 2:21 left. Dela Cruz subsequently made a three-pointer of his own as XS’s lead was again reduced to three, 77-74, at the 1:58 mark … Consecutive misses by HCHS, including a trey by Jollo Go, at crunchtime sealed the deal for XS, which finalized the count with three free throws from Isaac Go (1-of-2) and Lim (2-of-4) … Lao picked up his seventh BonChon Chicken Player of the Game award.