Henry Liao

DATE
February 28, 2013
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VENUE
Chiang Kai Shek College Gymnasium
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RESULT
Juniors Finals, Game 3
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Hope Christian High School 62 – Xavier School 55
Quarter Scores:* 17-11, 34-18, 48-39, 62-55
(HCHS wins best-of-three Finals, 2-1)
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STATISTICS
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HCHS
Arjan Dela Cruz (29 points, 10-of-16 FGA, 2-of-4 3FGA, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block), Mark Nuñez (15 points in 14 minutes off the bench, 5-of-11 FGA, 3-of-6 3FGA, 1 rebound and 2 steals), John Apacible (7 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks), Jollo Go (5 points, 2-of-13 FGA, 0-of-6 3FGA, 3 rebounds and 2 assists), James Galoso (2 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist), Leo Guion (2 points, 5 rebounds. 2 assists and 1 steal), Jobert Mercado (2 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal), Jeffrey Siybauco (0 point), Lerwin Yap (0 point), Jomari Tubiano (0 point and 4 rebounds) and Kenneth Sumalacay (0 point, 2 rebounds and 1 assist).
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XS
Kyles Lao (18 points, 5-of-20 FGA, 8-of-9 FTA, 3 rebounds and 3 assists), Anton Lapez (9 points, 3-of-9 FGA, 2-of-8 3FGA, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal), Tyler Tio (6 points, 3-of-10 FGA and 4 rebounds), Jarrell Lim (6 points, 1-of-11 FGA, 4 rebounds and 2 assists), Donald Felbaum (4 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists), Isaac Go (4 points, 2-of-7 FGA, 14 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block), Gian Go (3 points, 1-of-6 FGA, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block), Paolo Susmerano (2 points and 1 rebound), Louis Cu (2 points and 2 rebounds), Jacob Ejercito (1 point, 1 rebound and 1 assist), Mark Chan (0 point and 2 rebounds) and Luis Fernando (0 point).
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TEAM STATS
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HCHS – 22-of-63 FGA (.349), 5-of-17 3FGA (.294), 13-of-25 FTA (.520)
XS –****** 18-of-71 FGA (.254), 2-of-14 3FGA (.143), 17-of-24 FTA (.708)
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HCHS – 54 rebounds, 13 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks, 22 turnovers
XS –****** 44 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 16 turnovers
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NOTESFor the first time since 1993, Hope Christian High School grabbed the Juniors crown in its third straight Finals stint.* HCHS coach Steve Tiu earned his third championship (1983/1993/2013) as HCHS coach and fourth overall, having led the school to the crown as a player in 1981 … HCHS guard Arjan Dela Cruz saved his best for last with a career-high 29 points, playing the fireman’s role each time Xavier School came dangerously close.* He completed a three-point play to give HCHS a 52-44 edge at the 8:23 mark when the Golden Stallions came within five points, 49-44, on an Anton Lapez triple.* After XS closed the gap to four, 55-51, for a second time in the fourth quarter on a Tyler Tio jumper (XS also trailed 52-44 earlier but Mark Nuñez connected on his third trifecta for a 55-48 HCHS edge), Dela Cruz knocked in four straight points (a basketball and a pair of free throws) to lift HCHS to a 59-51 advantage, time down to 3:49 … Dela Cruz earned BonChon Player of the Game honors … Just like when it trailed by as much as 21 points (56-35) midway through the third quarter of Game One, Xavier School got off to a slow start – leading just thrice, 2-0 on a Gian Go fielder, 4-3 on a Kyles Lao* jumper and 6-4 on another Lao twinner – and dug itself too big a hole to overcome …* Following deadlocks at 4-4 and 6-6, HCHS zoomed ahead with a 7-0 blast to move ahead, 13-6.* It never trailed thereafter and held its largest lead of 18 points thrice – 33-15 late in the first quarter following a 9-0 run; 36-18 to open the third quarter; and 44-26 at the 5:14 mark of the third period on Dela Cruz’s jumper … The Golden Stallions rallied with eight unanswered points to come within 10, 44-34, on back-to-back baskets by 6-7 Isaac Go, with 1:39 left in the third quarter.* But Dela Cruz sandwiched a Louis Cu fielder with a pair of baskets to restore order for Hope Christian, 48-34 … Jobert Mercado scored on an undergoal stab for his only points in the game with 1:23 remaining as HCHS built a 61-53 lead … Only Dela Cruz and Nuñez scored in twin digits for HCHS.* Baby-faced John Apacible only registered only seven points but grabbed 15 boards and blocked three enemy missiles.* Apacible was named Tiong Lian Finals Most Valuable Player with averages of 9.0 ppg, 15.7 rpg and 1.67 bpg in the three-game series.* He was in double figures in rebounds each time (19, 13 and 15) … No rebounds, no championships – HCHS lived up to the slogan by topping XS in the rebounding race, 54-44 … In Game Three, the law of average caught up with Kyles Lao, the tournament’s leading scorer with a 25.8-point clip in 13 assignments this season.* The 6-foot Lao made 33 and 31 points (over a 32.0 average) on .583 (21-of-36) FG shooting in the first two games of the titular series.* But in Game Three, he had a silent 18 points on a porous 5-fo-20 shooting, including 3-for-12 in the first half when XS was a measly 5-of-35 (.143) from the floor as a team to trail by 18 points, 34-18, at halftime … Lao’s sidekick, Jarrell Lim (12.7-ppg season average), again faltered in Game Three with just six points (also his Game 1 output) on 1-of-11 field shooting, misfiring on all his five attempts in the final 20 minutes … Isaac Go chalked up his second straight game with at least 10 rebounds with 14 but the high school junior was held under 10 points in all three games (6-7-4) in the Finals … Jollo Go, who wound up the season as HCHS’s highest scorer with a 13.2-point average in 13 assignments, he struggled mightily in the decisive Game Three with just five markers on 2-for-13 field shooting … Kyles Lao was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the Juniors Division while Joshua Ramirez earned the same award in the Aspirants Division for the back-to-back titlist Chiang Kai Shek College … The top six student-athletes – one for each member school -* in the Juniors Division of the 43rd MMTLBA BonChon Chicken tournament are Rodney Gonzales of Grace Christian College (sixth placer), Karl Billan of St. Jude Catholic School (fifth placer), Pierce Chan of host St. Stephen’s High School (fourth placer), Kimlee Bayquin of Chiang Kai Shek College (third placer), Kyles Lao of Xavier School (runner-up) and John Apacible of Hope Christian School (champion) … Hope Christian High School is next year’s