The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles outlasted the La Union College of Nursing Arts and Sciences, 90-78, to capture their second straight title in the Seaoil NBTC Elite League National High School Championships last Sunday at the Ynares Center in Pasig City.
The championship was a sweet one for the Magis Eagles, who won their first NBTC crown in Bacolod City last year. It was also Cebu’s third in a row after a team composed of the core of the University of the Visayas powered the city to the crown in 2010.
However, the title was not handed on a silver platter to the wards of head coach Sai Bacalso and assistant Jayzar Esperat as the smaller and faster guards of La Union nearly pulled off a comeback of miraculous proportions in the fourth period.
The Magis Eagles led by as many as 17 points, 40-23, after they recovered from a barrage from La Union in the second canto.
SHS-AdC continued to keep its opponents at bay in the third stanza as Julius Cadavis, Dave Wilson Yu and Aaron Sing all hit their stride in that stretch. Fittingly, Rendell Senining capped off the third with an acrobatic layup and gave a beautiful assist to Mavii Suarez for an easy basket, which gave them a hefty 61-45 lead heading to the final period.
The Magis Eagles decided to play with fire and nearly got toasted for it. A minute and a half into the fourth, SHS-AdC found itself already in the penalty situation. That, coupled with the fearless forays to the basket by Edmund Manis and Alvin Graycochea, got La Union within four, 59-63, with 5:20 left.
The Magis Eagles got a momentary respite as Cadavis made a free-throw while Sing and Henry Asilum each made three-pointers that pushed their lead back to 11, 70-59. But La Union’s Adrian Cacsi and Graycochea continued their onslaught on the basket and got their team within five, 67-72, with a little over two minutes remaining.
SHS-AdC put an end to all the drama as Sing made a long two, Cadavis hit a layup off a broken play, Suarez converted on a putback and Asilum made two free-throws that iced the win and title for the Magis Eagles.
Cadavis and Sing led the squad in the finals with 12 points each while Dawn Ochea added 11. Cadavis was adjudged as the tournament MVP for the second year in a row.
Graycochea had 26 to pace La Union while Cacsi chipped in 20.