San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC Stags)
photo via Varsity Hoops
Reigning NCAA Champion, San Sebastian Stags has stolen away the 2010 Filoil Flying V Pre-season Cup Crown from the league’s defending champion, the FEU Tamaraws in a controversial foul call by the referee seconds away from the end game thus 79-78 final, Sunday at the Arena.
Despite such a controversial call though, credit must still be given to the league’s eventual champion, the SSC Stags who dominated the Tamaraws right at the outset of the matchup, extending it until the third quarter.
The Tamaraws made a heart-pounding comeback, as expected from them starting at the end of the third canto until the remaining seconds of the game - it had in fact, tip the scale of momentum in their favor through a late three-pointer by team veteran Aldrech Ramos that has tied the game into its 6th deadlock at 78 all with barely 34 seconds remaining in the game clock. The tide has turned against them however when the unfortunate holding foul on Ping Exciminiano was called 3 seconds away from the game’s buzzer while scrambling for ball possession, giving San Sebastian’s Pamboy Raymundo a one out of two successful charity.
The 17-team league’s crown, now on its fifth year was thereafter awarded to San Sebastian College albeit the questionable call by the referee that even unbiased basketball experts could have argued on.
SSC’s Calvin Abueva was proclaimed as one of the mythical five players and the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) who scored 23 points with 15 rebounds in the final game. Other mythical five of the tournament were Jun Etame of Jose Rizal University, Adamson’s Alex Nuyles, FEU’s RR Garcia and Reil Cervantes. Meanwhile, Adamson Falcons claimed the 2nd runner up title after defeating the JRU Heavy Bombers earlier in the day.
Quarter Scores: 23-13, 41-35, 55-55, 79-78
Individual Scores:
San Sebastian 79: Abueva 23, Pascual 22, Raymundo 16, Del Rio 10, Sangalang 4, Maconocido 2, Bulawan 2, Semira 0, Gorospe 0
FEU 78: Garcia 21, Romeo 20, Ramos 13, Cervantes 8, Cawaling 7, Bringas 5, Cruz 4, Noundou 0, Sanga 0, Mendoza 0, Knuttel 0, Exciminiano 0
