Baguio Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL)

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Navigators force rubber match
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
By Roderick Osis

SAINT Louis University (SLU) Navigators fought for dear life to extend the finals of the 23rd Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) basketball competition.

The Navigators relied on the trio of Alvin Simon Bustos, Joel Jiminez, and Carlo Orduña to thwart a fighting University of Baguio (UB) Cardinals, 88-82, extending their best of three series in a no more tomorrow, winner take all match in the men’s basketball Wednesday at the University of the Cordilleras (UC) gym.

Bustos fired 18 points while Jimenez and Orduña added 16 and 14 points, respectively to keep their hopes alive of a first basketball crown in the 23 year old collegiate league.

The Bonifacio-based squad started with a 6-2 advantage with 7:59 in the first period before closing the opening canto with a 26-17 advantage.

The Navigators then enjoyed their biggest lead in the ball game after posting a 32-22 lead in the second period with 7:51 remaining ending the first half with a 48-45 edge.

The Cardinals finally made a decent offensive run to steal the lead against the Navigators after posting a four to nothing run, 48-49 with 8:21 remaining in the third period.

UB enjoyed the upper hand of the ball game in the third canto leading by as high as five, 52-57, with 2:38 left in the third period but the Navigators just wouldn’t let the game slip from their fingers as they regained the lead at the close of the quarter, 60–58.

The Assumption dribblers then made their final run in the fourth period after being down by four to regain the lead anew, 62-63 with 8:58 left in the payoff period but the Navigators then answered another bucket courtesy of Bustos to reclaim the lead at 64-63 with 8:28 remaining.

In the ensuing play, the Cardinals then broke a 70 all count with 5:58 remaining with Kevin Orduña leading the charges for the Assumption squad then romped to another five to nothing count to enjoy a 70-75 advantage with 4:12 left in the ball game.

From a three point deficit with less than three minute left, the Navigators then made their final run to reclaim the lead, 80–79 with 2:02 left in the ball game.

From then on, the Navigators never looked back to seal the win in the second game of the championship series.

Mike Hipol and John Oliva added 12 points each for the Navigators.

Richard Bilibli topped the Cardinals with his 16 point output while Billy Boado and Kevin Orduña chipped in 14 points apiece with Darwin Balmores adding 12 points.

In the women’s basketball action, the Lady Navigators surprised the UC Lady Jaguars in the opening quarter with their suffocating defense, to carve a 79-55 lead and force a rubber match in their best of three series.

The Lady Navigators opened the ball game with a 24-0 blitz, allowing the Lady Cardinals to earn their first point of the ball with less than four minutes left in the opening canto.

The Bonifacio-based squad allowed only six points for the number one women’s basketball team in the league, one of the lowest points scored in a quarter in BBEAL history.

SLU was never challenged in the entire ball game after their two point sorry loss in the first game of their best of three match.

Catherine Camilo and Odessa Gacayan led the Lady Navigators with their 13 point production apiece with Ma. Fe Dela Cruz and Glenda Mananquil adding 12 points each while Nikkita Gonzalez came in with 10 points.

Mary Jane Estipular led the Lady Jaguars with her 12 points on a 3 out of 3 shooting beyond the arc while Olive Alcantara added 11 points.

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on October 1, 2009.

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King Cardinals reclaim crown
Thursday, October 1, 2009
By Roderick Osis

UNIVERSITY of Baguio survived a determined Saint Louis University team to clinch the coveted men’s basketball championship, 75-68, of the Baguio- Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) at the jam-packed UC gymnasium.

The Cardinals looked like it would breeze through game three after taking a 41-26 halftime lead before the Navigators, behind the hot sniping of guard Alvin Bustos, made it 53-45 going into the final quarter of game three of their best of three series finale.

“Super happy because we waited for this for two years even if many people did not believe us," said teary-eyed coach Joel Flores after the ballgame amidst the celebration of red shirts inside the gymnasium.

It was UB's 20th BBEAL championship, the first after a three year drought in 2006 and first under four-year coach Dacanay.

Bustos, SLU’s own veteran two-guard, buried two of his three-pointers in the third quarter to spark the Navigators 17-8 counterattack and cut down the Cardinals lead at the end of the period.

The Navigators slowly inched their way against the Cardinals’ lead with Albert Carbonel leading the way for the Bonifacio-based squad after a 14-8 blitz to stare at a three point deficit, 64-61 with 3:27 left in the third quarter.

Any semblance of a fight, however, was snuffed out of Saint Louis after the Cardinals started to pull away with less than one minute from the buzzer with the score pegged at 69-61 in favor of the Cardinals.

Stingy defense in the fourth, the trademark of this UB team which lost only once in seven games this season, helped the Cardinals retake the basketball crown

“Coach Joel only told us one thing this season," Cardinal main man Billy Boado said. “Just defend properly."

Boado led the way for UB with his 14 points.

The Cardinals soared early at the start of the ball game erecting a 16-8 advantage with 2:39 left in the first quarter before closing the period with a 21-12 count.

“They were a tough opponent because most of them are veterans that's why I thought the boys were going to give up again in the fourth quarter, just like in game two," Dacanay said.

Aside from Boado, four other Cardinals scored in double digits. Richard Bilibli and Klayrhil Elefante chipped in 13 points apiece. Kevin Orduña and Darwin Balmores added 11 and 10 points each.

Bustos topped Saint Louis with his game high 13 points while Carbonel added 14 with Mike Hipol chipping in 13 markers.

Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on October 2, 2009.