PAGADIAN CITY – Jumbo Plastic-Basilan capped its dominating performance by completing a three-game sweep of KCS-Mandaue, 83-65, to rule the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup Friday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium here.
KCS, which played minus key players, was able to keep in step with Basilan in the opening frame, even leading 23-20 to end the quarter.
But it was an entirely different story in the next period.
Basilan held its rivals scoreless in the last 4:45 of the second canto while continuing to pile the points on the other end to build a 13-point lead at halftime, 43-30.
The Mindanao champs then opened the third with a searing 15-0 run to establish a whopping 28-point margin, 58-30, on the way to sweeping their best-of-five title series.
Shaq Imperial’s triple at the 5-minute mark of the third quarter endeds the scoring spel for Mandaue.
KCS managed to close in at 66-52 on a 10-0 run but the Mindanao champs valiantly traded baskets to keep their double-digit lead.
“Talagang napakasarap nitong championship na ito kasi ang hirap ng basketball ngayong pandemic. We are fortunate na na nakakapaglaro kami pero now na nag champion tapos na 13-0 pa, it’s on a whole another level,” said Basilan head coach Jerson Cabiltes.
Jessie Collado led the champions with 15 points and four rebounds, Michael Juico added 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals while Michael Mabulac was a beast in the paint with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Both Mabulac and Collado were named the co-Finals Most Valuable Players as well. The former boasted averages of 12.3 points, 11. 3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists, while the latter had 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in three games.
Juico was unable to finish the game after being ejected at the 2:26 mark of the fourth because of two technical fouls for trash talking.
Besides the honor of being the first-ever Southern champions, Basilan will also bag P1 million prize courtesy of Chooks-to-Go and the league which is on top of the P500,000 it won in the Mindanao Leg.
KCS, on the other hand, will go home with P500,000.
The scores:
BASILAN 83 – Collado 15, Juico 14, Mabulac 13, Baloria 13, Uyloan 6, Gabo 6, Manalang 6, Taganas 2, Saliddin 2, Bitoon 2, Siruma 2, Balucanag 0, Bringas 0, Tan 0.
MANDAUE 65 – Delator 14, Soliva 13, Castro 10, Bregondo 8, Roncal 7, Gastador 4, Imperial 3, Octobre 2, Nalos 2, Mercader 1, Cachuela 1.
Quarters: 20-23, 43-30, 66-42, 83-65.
