SACRED Heart Academy of Novaliches was a huge winner in the 8th Quezon City Athletic Association (QCAA) basketball competitions, romping away with two of the five divisional championships at stake during the tournament’s final playdate last Sunday November 16 at the Saint Claire School Gym.
The Bruins first topped the 13 years-and-under Boys Elementary Division with a 78-68 victory over the 2013 titlist Jubilee Christian Academy. Gabriel Paolo Salazar knocked in three triples and scored 24 points and pint-sized playmaker Jon Lex contributed 20 markers, grabbed nine rebounds and three assists for SHAN to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
Two other Bruins registered a double double with Andre Rafael Tuazon collecting 11 points and 10 rebounds and Francisco Mark Clarino getting 10 and 11.
JCA was bannered by veterans Kyle Barraza and Janaro Bautista, who tallied 18 and 14 points, respectively. Barraza, the team’s No. 1 scorer in the tournament, also plucked down five boards but was limited to 22 minutes after being abruptly substituted on three occasions due to cramps.
SHAN also snared the Boys High School Competitive diadem for the second time in three seasons with a pulsating 81-80 triumph over Mother of Perpetual Help School. The Bruins of head coach Mario Ballesteros were ahead for much of the game before MPHS forced an 80-80 deadlock with 21.1 seconds left.
Digio split his pair of free throws 15 seconds later to give SHAN back the lead, 81-80. MPHS had a golden opportunity to steal the nerve-wracking contest but Debbie Arabis muffed a pair of charity shots with 2.4 ticks left.
Heady backcourter Earl Salazar chalked up 31 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals in 38 minutes for SHAN to grab the MVP award. Robert De Guzman, who along with Salazar kept the Bruins afloat with a 10-0 run after MPHS mounted a huge rally late in the third period to momentarily seize a 49-48 lead, added 24 scores and seven boards.
Like its younger (13-and-under) counterparts, SHAN took the title with an unbeaten record. Big man Gerald Junio nearly registered a triple-double with MPHS with 23 points, 20 rebounds and eight blocks. Three of his teammates also scored in twin digits: William Prudente, 22; Arabis, 15 (and 11 boards); and Lopez, 12.
Meanwhile, Angelicum College won its sixth consecutive championship in the Girls High School Division with an easy 82-51 victory over Jubilee Christian Academy. JCA scored the game’s first twinner before the unblemished Lady Roebucks put up 18 unanswered points to leave their opponents behind for good.
Baby Charmaine Torres, a graduating YS-11 student, was voted MVP for the third year in a row with 25 points and 10 rebounds for Angelicum. Joanna Lucia Ecaldre, also a senior, fouled out with 23 scores in 20 minutes; Eunice Torrente totaled 11 points; and Del Poso had nine markers and a game-high 22 boards for the leady troops of head mentor Eli Chua.
JCA got 23 points and seven rebounds from Mythical Five selection Julisha Yulangco; 15 points and six reebies from Sandra Villacruz; and four points and 14 rebounds from Kimberly Ong.
In the 12 years-and-under Boys Elementary Division, Kings Montessori School defeated Ateneo de Manila Team B, 65-41.
The KMS Vikings were led by MVP Gabrielle Dan Gamboa’s 17 points and four steals, Yuan Jerico Camay’s 16 points, and Lance Andrei Bracino’s 13 scores.
Luis Anthony Torralba scored 13 points and Kevin Riley Herrera collected 10 points and 19 rebounds in a losing effort for the Blue Eaglets. In the Boys High School Developmental Division, International Christian School completed an unbeaten campaign with an 82-56 rout of Saint Claire School.
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