BAGUIO CITY—University of Santo Tomas and St. John Institute scored contrasting wins against separate rivals to share the early lead with similar 2-0 cards in the 2012 Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas National Under-16 tournament at the University of Baguio gym.
The Growling Tigers rolled back a hard-fighting International School for Better Beginnings squad, 61-58, and the Bacolod-based St. John crushed St. Agnes, 95-45, sending the Albay-based team to a second successive loss after bowing to St. Clare, 51-77, in the opener.
University of Visayas bounced back from its 91-99 overtime loss to St. John Institute by downing La Union College of Nursing and Arts, 84-71, tying the San Fernando-based squad at 1-1 in the company of Holy Child School of Davao, St. Clare and ISBB.
The Davaoeños, who lost their first game to LUCNAS, 59-70, dumped St. Clare, 73-58, and prevented the Caloocan-based squad from scoring a double whammy after its girls’ team notched its second win at the expense of winless Jose de Venecia Sr. National High School, 90-54, at the Cordillera Career Development College gym in Benguet.
UST, a 73-67 winner over UB, needed the late heroics of Paulo Corre and Rean Rupert Berdijo to beat the Lucena-based team.
ISBB had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Glenn Ninobla missed a triple in the last 17 seconds.
“I didn’t expect to end the game that way because this was the first time we played against them,” said St. John coach Dexter Dy.