Xavier School and St. Jude Catholic School arranged a title showdown in the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA) 10th Anniversary Invitational Basketball Tournament.
The Golden Stallions pulled off a come-from-behind 64-57 nipping of St. Stephen’s High School, while the Green Knights staved off Pace Academy, 80-72, on Saturday at Uno High School Gym.
Brent Tiu scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, on top of 15 rebounds, nine assists, and six steals as Xavier staged a scintillating 13-0 blast to take control of the game after staring at an eight-point deficit with eight minutes to play.
Andre Tan also added 13 points to preserve the Golden Stallions’ perfect 11-0 record in the tournament which is supported by Milk Magic, Spalding, Vital Purified Drinking Water, and Nexgen Asia.
Kobe Chong, meanwhile, scored the final eight points for No. 2-seed St. Jude as he finished with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Ethan Kaw also dropped 24 points built on three treys, alongside five boards, five steals, and three assists to extend the Green Knights’ win streak to 10.
Game One of the best-of-three championship series is on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6 p.m. at the same venue, with the next games set on Feb. 28 and March 4, if necessary.