Bacolod cager Rafael Melocoton fired 13 points to help Iloilo Commercial Central High School hack out a 69-49 victory over Cebu-based Sacred Heart School yesterday in the finals of the Milo passarelle Visayas tournament at the West Negros College Gym in Bacolod City .

Scoreless in the win against St. John's Institute, the former University of St. La Salle-Integrated School standout stepped up and joined forces with Orly John Pelopero to finish off the Cebu cagers, who advanced to the finals of the 15-Under tournament at the expense of SJI.

Pelopero, a 6-foot-3 player, boosted ICCHS with 17 points, including 13 in the second period, where the Ilonggos pulled away for good.

“We took this tournament very seriously and we achieved our mission,” ICCHS coach Vincent Conlu, who used to play college ball for the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos , before transferring to Far Eastern University, said.

Sacred Heart bagged the SBP crown with a 59-43 conquest of Ateneo De Iloilo.

The SJI squads, the Negros Occidental provincial elimination winners, were unable to grab a win in each of their two games and settled for third place finishes in both the SBP and passarelle divisions.

ICCHS, whose alumni includes PBA MVP James Yap, Ken Bono, Roel Hugnatan and Leo Canuday, actually swept its three games in the tournament.

The Ilonggos posted a 63-55 triumph over Sacred Heart in the preliminary round Saturday, before routing St. John's, 73-54.

“There were opening jitters and the players had to adapt that's why we struggled against Sacred Heart in the first game,” said Conlu, whose team trailed by 13 points with 7 minutes remaining, before unleashing a searing run to snatch victory.

The champions will represent the Visayas in the national finals on Nov. 17-18 in Iloilo City . Already qualified in the passarelle division are Xavier School and Holy Child of Davao.

Other members of the ICCHS squad are Eli Lim, Jacob Lee, Martin Kim Posadas, Marvin Gaitan, Matthew Lopez, Ryan Coo, John Henry Nograles, CJ Maverick Vargas, Geceel Palmes, Lanz Nathaniel Govel, Robert Ryan Chu and Hero Tomilloso. *CPT

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