FCBL: Hope dethrones San Beda; NU third

MANILA—Hope Christian High School needed three extension periods to unseat San Beda, 103-100, and bag the fourth FCBL Freego title at the Buddhacare Gym over the weekend.

Hope threw away several chances to wrap up the match regulation and in the second overtime.  Instead, it relied on a strong start in the third overtime to seize its first crown in the annual high school cagefest.

Errol Villar, Freego Finals Most Valuable Player, finished with a game-high 31 points.

King Benemrito added 17 markers for Hope but almost caused the team’s downfall when a soft inbound pass in the second overtime was stolen by Lemuel Paterno, resulting in an uncontested layup that sent the game to a third five-minute period, 88-all.

In the third OT, Villar anchored an 8-1 salvo that gave Hope the lead for good, 96-89, with less than three minutes left.
In the battle for third place, National University demolished Mapua, 99-81.

The Mythical Five was composed of Xavier’s Jeron Teng, Jay Alejandro of Mapua, Jerie Pingoy of FEU, UST’s Paulo Florentino and San Beda’s Francis Abarcan.
Hope’s Stevenson Tiu was also honored as Best Coach.