World of Fun made history en route to the Class A title of the 8th Tan Kek Pin Memorial Cup Basketball Tournament recently.

Bannered by some of the stalwarts of Valiant Bank’s successful 2007 championship drive, WOF outmaneuvered Probac in the endgame to hammer out a 75-69 win at the Po Hang Gym that capped its dominance of the six-team division last March 15.

Led by Immuvit Most Valuable Player awardee Arnold Laureño, the WOF cagers finished the tournament with an immaculate 9-0 record that included five wins in the eliminations and three in the round-robin semifinals.

WOF became the first team to win the title without losing a single game.

KJ Fairmart-City Savings Bank, meanwhile, grabbed the Class B crown in controversial fashion, downing a Head and Shoulders squad that decided to forfeit the game with 40 seconds remaining and KJ ahead, 90-87, citing spotty officiating.

While its well-oiled, balanced offense had been getting much attention the tournament, it was WOF’s terrific defense near the end that secured the championship.

Ahead 73-69 with 22.1 seconds left, WOF broke up Probac’s bid for a quick trey and completed a steal that was translated to a fastbreak lay-up for Laureño to wrap up the win.

A minute earlier, Warren Alintano, who also finished with six points, stole the ball from Probac and fed Laureño for an uncontested lay-up that made it 71-65. Probac responded with a triple from Andy Angudong and splits from Rodel Canino and Alintano sandwiched a Leo Abao free throw to keep WOF safe.

WOF seized control early, 23-14, thanks to Melvin Josef Baclay with 12 points, before building a 42-31 edge at halftime, through the efforts of Immuvit player of the game Johnson Salazar, who scored 9 of his game-high 16 in the second period.

But it was Probac who took the momentum at the break with Peewee Demonteverde beating the buzzer from 27 feet. The basket galvanized Probac, which came out more aggressive in the third, behind Ariston Sillana and Chad Paez, who joined hands to give their team a 54-52 lead at the end of the third.

Salazar, however, hit his stride early in the fourth quarter, nailing three straight triples to give WOF the edge it protected until the end.

Laureño and Baclay added 12 apiece for WOF, which took the twice-to-beat edge in the finals after scoring a 79-65 win over Probac on the last day of the semifinals.

Salazar joined Laureno in the mythical team together with Talisay’s Joemel Garrido, Province of Negros Occidental’s Rex Bayer and Probac’s Peewee Demonteverde.

With no team establishing a clear edge heading into the final minute, the match could have gone either way but Head and Shoulders literally handed the crown to KJ Fairmart.

Claiming that they are getting a raw deal from the referees, Head and Shoulders, after main man Raffy Torrico cut the lead, 90-87, decided to give up the match.

The final straw came with 40 seconds left when Roldan Del Solor of Head and Shoulders and Sylvester Millevo of KJ were both slapped with technical fouls

Head and Shoulders actually started complaining during the previous play when Vanzant Brizuela was assessed a personal foul and a technical foul for second motion Gherald Abrot. The calls gave Abrot four free throws, which he made to lift KJ, 90-86, with 1:35 left.

The unusual climax spoiled what could have been a well-played, see-saw battle that saw both teams locked in a 67-all tie heading into the fourth period.

KJ got going first in the final quarter, unleashing a 13-4 run to take an 80-71 lead on Te Espejo’s jumper. But Del Solor came off the bench to instigate an 11-0 run with for an 82-80 advantage.

Rhett Demonteverde ended KJ’s slump with a free throw and JR Fernandez scored on a lay-up to restore the lead, 83-82.

Torrico was still a menace inside the paint and his follow up and another lay-up forced the 86-all deadlock, before the controversial technical foul.

Abrot turned in 15 points, while Millevo added 13. Demonteverde and RG Peñas posted 9 apiece.

Torrico had 14 and Del Solor finished with 12.

Despite his team’s loss in the finals, Torrico was still named the VP of the Class B division. He was joined in the mythical five by Jeffrey Salanap, Baciwa’s Ryan Agena, Davies Luis Paint’s Albert Smalley and Abrot.

The second team was composed by Millevo and Sherman Gonzales of KJ, Erson Isuga of Baciwa and Davies stalwarts JP Yulo and Ireneo Morales.*CPT

back to top

Castro robbed of Olympic slot?
World of Fun, KJ-CSB wrest Tan Kek Pin Cup cage crowns