SEASON 11 of the Quezon City Athletic Association (QCAA) basketball competitions concluded Sunday with four schools grabbing the championship hardware at stake in the four different divisions.
In the 12-under Boys Division, unbeaten Santo Nino of Novaliches walloped Saint Patrick School, 46-29, in a titular game it held the upperhand throughout after giving up the first basket.
The Stallions, who finished with an immaculate 12-0 record, scored the next eight points to go up, 8-2, behind Rob Deiniel Reazon. They were up, 26-15, at intermission and headed into the payoff quarter ahead by 14, 33-19.
The green-shirted SPS Leprechauns came within seven, 36-29, behind Kurt Chester Delos Santos. But Santo Nino scored the game’s final 10 points – including the last four from John Benedict Rivera – for a 17-point triumph.
Rivera, the regular-season and Finals Most Valuable Player, collected 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals, Reazon contributed 16 scores and five steals and Chester Parajez plucked down 17 boards for Santo Nino.
The trio was joined on the five-man Mythical Team by Kurt Chester Delos Santos and Kings Montessori School’s Yeshua Elijah Espiritu
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In the 14-under Boys Division, top-seeded Kings Montessori School shellacked Saint Patrick School, 87-39, for the championship.
KMS surrendered the lone deadlock (2-2) in the one-sided contest then raced to a 28-10 lead after the first 10 minutes as regular-season and Finals MVP Gabriel Gamboa, John David Marcos and Kier Lim (two triples and eight points) ran circles around SPS’ matador-like defense. The Vikings settled for a 44-25 lead at halftime and were comfortably way ahead, 68-33, entering the fourth quarter.
The offensive onslaught by KMS continued in the final canto as it outpointed its foe, 19-6, behind Gamboa, Marcos and Lim.
The three Vikings made up the Mythical Five which also included SPS’ burly Fil-foreigner Hajilou Garduque and Bhenjiemen Bernardo.
Jubilee Christian Academy and Pace Academy were the losing semifinalists.
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With twin setbacks in the 12U and 14U division finals, Saint Patrick School was not to be denied for a third time as the Leprechauns bamboozled their Santo Nino counterparts, 80-51, in the championship game of the 18-under Boys Developmental Division.
SPS, which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee, had beaten Santo Nino in the elimination phase and repeating over the Novaliches-based Stallions was a foregone conclusion after securing a 41-22 lead at halftime behind regular-season MVP Art John Cosa and Rowen Carl Icoy.
The Leprechauns opened the third-quarter hostilities with an 8-0 run that took the life out of the Stallions, 49-22. Ahead by 59-34 after three periods, SPS was on the driver’s seat throughout the fourth canto with a separation of at least 20 points (63-43).
Cosa and Icoy each tallied 18 points and Battara, the Finals MVP, collected 16 points, eight assists and seven steals for Saint Patrick School.
Mon Catedrilla topscored for Santo Nino with 18 points and Vince Panis registered a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.
Cosa, Battara and Icoy were joined on the Mythical team by Catedrilla and Panis.
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In the main dish of the championship quadruple bill, Sacred Heart Academy of Novaliches copped its fourth straight crown – and fifth in six years – in the 18-under Boys Competitive Division with an emphatic 86-69 rout of Saint Vincent School in the finals.
The Bruins of Coach of the Year Mark Ballesteros trailed for the only time in the early goings when SVS’ John Malana knocked in a triple for a 7-6 lead. SHAN came up with a 10-0 blast as John Dayrit chalked up eight points – including consecutive threes – and Diego Arcega had a twinner that propelled the Novaliches-based team to a 16-7 advantage. It never relinquished the upperhand thereafter.
SHAN was ahead, 19-12, after the first 10 minutes and 38-30 at halftime. Saint Vincent came within six points, 51-45, on a Villacorta trifecta. Seven points from Pizarro – including a quarter buzzer-beating twinner – lifted the Bruins to a 60-49 edge.
The Bruins were never seriously threatened in the fourth frame as they were ahead by at least nine points (62-53 and 64-55) during the stretch and, without much pressure, coasted to a 17-point victory.
Dayrit topscored for the Bruins with 21 points. Arcega, the Finals MVP, contributed 18 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots. Pizarro scored 14 markers and Billshan Digno, the regular-season MVP, had 13 points, six reebies and three assists.
Malana was the only Saint Vincent player in double-digit scores with 24.
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Unlike in previous seasons, there were no competitions in the Girls High School Division this year due to lack of entries.
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