DAVAO CITY — The Davao leg of the Philippine Collegiate Championship League is in September to determine what will team will advance to the next level.The Champions’ League is a search for the national champion by the participation of teams from all over the country.

Davao belongs to the Regional Area 8 along with Socsargen and Maguindanao.

Former national coach Jose Lipa met with Davao’s Division 1 teams on Wednesday night and discussed with coaches Allan Josol of DMMA College of Southern Philippines, Dindo Pastor of Jose Maria College, Mat Cubero of Agro Foundation College, Marlon Lucnagan of Rizal Memorial Colleges, Pocholo Elegino of Ateneo de Davao University and Atty.Manny Nitorreda of the University of Mindanao the details of the competition.

After the Davao swing, the top two squads will advance to the Mindanao finals to play against the best squads coming from other areas.

Cagayan de Oro City, he said, is interested to host the Zonals.

The national champion will get a chance to represent the Philippines to the Universiade competitions next year in Serbia, Lipa said aside from getting scholarship grants and athletic equipment.

The Champion’s League is presented by Rey D. Gamboa, chairman of the PCCL and sanctioned by the BAP-Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas.

DAVAO CITY — EDSA Anniversary basketball games are scheduled Saturday afternoon starting at 5 p.m. at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Featured teams are the Rizal Memorial Colleges Bulldogs, Agro-Industrial Foundation College Sailors, Holy Cross of Davao College Crusaders and the Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights.

The event is sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission in coordination with the Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Office and the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas XI.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez will be on hand to grace the event along with Davao City Sports Coordinator Christopher “Bong” Go and BAP-SBP Regional Director Regino “Boy” Cua.

Holy Cross of Davao College Crusaders.

Rizal Memorial Colleges Bulldogs.

Ateneo de Davao University Blue Knights.

Agro Foundation College Sailors.

The City Mayor’s Office team presents souvenir items to the visiting Australian Sports Ambassadors from Perth after their exhibition game at the Davao City Recreation Center. The Australians won, 95-63.DAVAO SPORTSWRITERS ASSOCIATION

City Sports Coordinator Bong Go of the City Mayor’s Office eludes Danny Cook of the Australian Sports Ambassadors, Thursday night at the Davao City Recreation Center. The visitors won, 95-63.DAVAO SPORTSWRITERS ASSOCIATION

DAVAO CITY — The Australian Sports Ambassadors from Perth are enjoying their stay in Davao City, gaining friends and spreading the Word of God through basketball.

Team captain Greg Beacham, a teacher in Perth, said that they have built relationships with Filipinos in Bukidnon Province where they also played a series of games.

They intend to have the same output after a series of games in Davao City with Brokenshire College, MATS College of Technology, and the Duterte Agilas-City Mayor’s Office led by City Sports Coordinator Christopher “Bong” Go.

Coach Jeff Long said that they were able to play and teach for several years but not only that, the Australians this year were able to help build a Children’s Home in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

During the half time breaks, they conduct a Bible study for the spectators to learn more about Jesus.

“And it is very encouraging to know that people change for the better,” said Long on Thursday’s Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Tower Inn.

The Australians will play their last games on Thursday and take a break on Friday before leaving back to Manila later in the evening.

Aside from from the six-foot-five Beacham and Long, the other Sports Ambassadors are 6′9″ Joshua Manthe, 6′4″ Giles Creelman, 6′3″ Paul Beacham, 6′3″ Mark Beacham, 6′3″ Danny Cook, 6′” Mike Valenti, 6′2″ Hedly Taylor, 6′0″ Brad Potts and 5′10 Rufo Cabunkal.

Australian Sports Ambassadors team captain Greg Beacham (center) explains the purpose of their visit to Davao City on Thursday’s DSA Forum at the Tower Inn.Also shown are playing coach Jeff Long (left) and their Davao coordinator Pastor Gary Visitacion.DAVAO SPORTSWRITERS ASSOCIATION

DAVAO CITY — Registration for the First Holiday Basketball League (HBL) next month at the Holiday Gym and Spa basketball court is going on, according to organizers.

Ivy Fernandez, Holiday’s Chief Operating Officer, said that the form must be submitted not later than February 8. A play-off briefing in on February 9 at 5 p.m.

Forms are available at the Holiday Gym and Spa along Torres Street, Wheels and More gym at Bajada, The Venue at Jacinto Extension and PenHaus at the Victoria Plaza.

Age brackets are for 16 to 21, 22 to 30 and 31 and above.

Registration fee is P1,500 per team. Playing dates are February 16 to 17 and 23 to 24, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fore more information, contact 2223041 c/o Richie.

DAVAO CITY – Founding member Montaña Pawnshop-Davao returns to the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) when it competes in the community-based league’s Sinulog Cup from January 27 to 31 at the New Cebu Coliseum.

Montaña reached the Mindanao Division semifinals of the MVBA’s very first conference in 2006, losing to the Iligan Archangels, 1-2. Since then, the team of businessman Armando Quibod took a leave of absence from the league.

Former Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue guard and Davao City native Michael Manigo has been added to Montaña’s youthful roster and is expected to be among the team’s main men along with team captain Randy Panerio, guards Allan Quibod and Ryan Abanes and forwards Junel Jawod and Dado Ayson.

The Davaoeños thus complete a tough six-team cast sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP). Leading the way is defending back-to-back champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba.

Three teams are from Metro Manila – Philippine Basketball League (PBL) members Pharex Medics of Coach Carlo Tan and Toyota-Balintawak Road Kings of Coach Ariel Vanguardia and Metro Basketball League (MBL) titlist Fifth Avenue Telecoms under playing coach Junel Mendiola.

Also in the hunt are the multi-titled University of the Visayas Green Lancers of Coach Elmer Cabahug, who will carry the colors of Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon thanks to the help of businessman Lorenzo Chao Sy and Mayor Deogenes Derama. The Lancers are keen on enlisting some of their recent alumni owing to the tough competition ahead.

The Sinulog Cup is making a return after a three-year absence. In 2005, M. Lhuillier bested the Quezon Coco Huskers in the finals to claim the crown, 97-87. The Jewelers are gunning for a rare three-peat having also bagged the 2004 Sinulog Cup over the San Sebastian-Cavite Baycats, 97-78.(Anthony E. Servinio)

Games December 17 - New Cebu Coliseum
4:00PM Christmas Cup Opening Ceremonies
4:30PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City vs. Tagaytay City
6:00PM Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue vs. Pagadian City

CEBU CITY — Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr eked out a 97-94 win over defending champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City Friday night at the New Cebu Coliseum to level the best-of-three 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference Finals at 1-1.

The winner-take-all third match was being played at press time last night. M. Lhuillier won Game One, 76-75, last December 12 at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City. The multi-titled Jewelers are gunning for their third MVBA crown in four conferences while MisOr is looking for a back-to-back after ruling this year’s First Conference of the league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) and bankrolled by ML Kwarta Padala, Nature’s Spring, Accel, Reva Sandals, Gameface.Ph and Nike Basketball.

Center Nat Cruz unloaded 12 points in the final quarter including eight out of 10 free throw attempts in the final 35 seconds to hold off the scorching M. Lhuillier comeback. With MisOr shakily on top, 94-91, Woodrow Enriquez opted to drive to the hoop and threaten for the last time with five seconds to play, 93-94. Cruz was quickly fouled but could only make one free throw for a 95-93 MisOr edge.

In the ensuing sequence, Cruz nearly turned goat as he fouled Jerry Cavan. After making his first attempt, Cavan would miss the potential equalizer and Cruz grabbed the defensive rebound plus a foul from Game One hero Ronald Capati. Cruz calmly sank both free throws for the final tally. With no timeouts left for Coach Raul Alcoseba, M. Lhuillier failed to put up a decent shot in the final two seconds of play.

MisOr controlled the entire second half after taking the lead at halftime on back-to-back baskets by Cruz and Frank Nailon, 42-40. Dennis Concha powered MisOr’s initial third period run capped by a three-point play by Ramil Tagupa that erected their biggest lead of the game, 62-50, at the 5:28 mark of the third.

Winning coach Bong Abad credited his players’ good shooting percentage and overall defensive effort that made up for their 20 turnovers versus the nine turnovers of M. Lhuillier. MisOr team owner Gov. Oscar Moreno hardly sat and paced the Coliseum stage for majority of the tense game that saw his wards shoot 34 out of 54 or 63% of their field goal attempts. On the other hand, M. Lhuillier made 30 of 65 attempts for 46%.

Cruz finished with 24 points. Mark Moreño came off the bench in the second period to pump in 11 of his 18 points. Anton Villoria added 15 and Concha 13. Enriquez led M. Lhuillier with 30 points followed by Stephen Padilla with 17 points off five triples. Jett Latonio chipped in 13 and Marlon Basco 11.

Meanwhile, the MVBA Christmas Cup will unveil on December 17 at the Coliseum with M. Lhuillier, MisOr, Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue, Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu and guest teams Pagadian City and Tagaytay City. The tournament will run until December 20 and offers big cash prizes to the winners.

How They Scored:

HOLCIM PRYCE-MISOR (97) - Cruz 24, Moreño 18, Villoria 15, Concha 13, Nailon 10, Tagupa 6, Sanchez 5, Abadia 4, Sevilla 2, Apepe 0, Jabagat 0.

M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (94) - Enriquez 30, Padilla 17, Latonio 13, Basco 11, Capati 9, Gatumbato 4, Cavan 4, Dacia 4, Aying 2, Caputolan 0, Rodriguez 0, Bat-og 0.

Period Scores: 17-19, 42-40, 73-66, 97-94.(Series tied, 1-1)
(Anthony E. Servinio)

Game on December 14, New Cebu Coliseum
5:30PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu vs. Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr

DAVAO CITY — HIS team may have finished at the bottom of the pile with a solitary win this conference but burly Eliazar “Boboy” Berami of the Duterte Agilas-Davao ended up with some consolation by walking away as the best scorer of the 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference with an average of 15.1 points over 12 games.

The scoring title is determined by all games played before the MVBA Finals between Visayas Division Champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City and Mindanao Division Champion Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr. Game One of the series was being completed late last night at the Xavier University Gym in Cagayan de Oro City. Game Two is scheduled for December 14 at the New Cebu Coliseum starting at 5:30PM. If needed, Game Three will be on Saturday, still at the Coliseum.

Berami averaged only 14.6 points in the 10-game classification round and upped his average to 17.5 in their semifinal series against MisOr. He registered a personal high of 26 markers twice, against M. Lhuillier last October 10 and in Game One of the Mindanao semis against MisOr last November 19. The conference record is 28 points set by Doroteo Almacin of Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu versus M. Lhuillier last October 8.

Finishing a far second to Berami was do-it-all player Rolly Menor of the MP Warriors-GenSan at 14.4 ppg. Defensive wiz Mark Yee of Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue earned the nod of Visayas top gun and third overall with 14.3 ppg.

Rounding out the top ten scorers are Visayas Division MVP Bruce Dacia of M. Lhuillier (13.8 ppg), Almacin (13.8 ppg), Alex Cainglet of Arthro (13.0 ppg), Nat Cruz of MisOr (13.0 ppg), Bong Marata of Landmaster (12.5 ppg), Richard Ian Saladaga of Landmaster (11.9 ppg) and Jonjon Gonzaga of the Agilas (11.5 ppg).

Meanwhile, the MVBA Christmas Cup kicks off on Sunday (December 16) with six teams participating in the five-day joust. M. Lhuillier, MisOr, Landmaster and Arthro will match wits with guest entries from the cities of Pagadian and Tagaytay in the tournament sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP).(Anthony E. Servinio)

Game Today (December 2) – Almendras Gym
7:00PM MP Warriors-GenSan vs. Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr
(Mindanao Finals, Game Two)
 
     DAVAO CITY – Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr shoots for its third straight Mindanao Division Championship tonight when they battle MP Warriors-GenSan in Game Two of the best-of-three Mindanao Division Finals of the 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference at the Almendras Gym.
 
     Should the Warriors of Manny Pacquiao and Coach Ramon Pido stave off elimination by winning tonight and leveling the series, the winner-take-all Game Three will be played tomorrow (December 3), at a venue to be determined.
 
     Entering tonight’s contest, MisOr of Gov. Oscar Moreno and Coach Bong Abad remains the heavy favorite owing to their perfect record against their fellow Mindanao Division teams.  MisOr defeated the Warriors twice in the classification round, 81-74 at the Xavier University Gym last October 9 and 78-57 last November 16 at the South Cotabato Gym and Cultural Center.
 
      Expected to lead the charge of MisOr are guards Anton Villoria and Mark Moreño, who are known to up their numbers whenever they play the Warriors.  Also seen to play big roles are centers Nat Cruz and Frank Nailon, gunner Lowell Briones and reigning Player of the Week Ramil Tagupa.
 
     The Warriors seem to struggle against MisOr, with center Erian Daja the lone bright spot averaging 14.0 points in their two meetings.  Coach Pido has to restore the confidence of the rest of his crew to produce their regular statistics, especially team scoring leader Rolly Menor and usually prolific guards Louie Medalla, Donald Tadena, Roderick Ramos and Apol Coronado.
 
     MisOr swept Goldstar Hardware Duterte Agilas-Davao in the Division Semifinals, 2-0, to arrange the showdown with the Warriors who earned a outright spot in the Division Finals of the league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) and made possible by ML Kwarta Padala, Nature’s Spring Water, Sulpicio Lines, Accel, Cokaliong Shipping, Reva Sandals, Gameface.Ph and Nike Basketball.
 
     Meanwhile, Game Three of the Visayas Division Semifinals between Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu of Jonathan Guardo and Coach Al Solis and Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Coach Jun Tan will be played tomorrow at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.  The winner will then play M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City in the best-of-three Visayas Division Finals that will start on December 4 at the New Cebu Coliseum.
 
     The two division champions will tangle in the best-of-three MVBA Finals tentatively scheduled to start on December 8.(Anthony E. Servinio)

Game November 29 – Xavier University Gym
6:00PM Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr vs. MP Warriors-GenSan(Mindanao Finals, Game One)

CAGAYAN DE ORO – Holcim Pryce Pharma-MisOr barged into the Mindanao Division Finals of the 2007 Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Second Conference Thursday night with a convincing 84-68 thumping of Goldstar Hardware Duterte Agilas-Davao at the Xavier University Gym.

MisOr of MVBA chairman Gov. Oscar Moreno and Coach Bong Abad thus swept the best-of-three series, 2-0. MisOr took Game One last November 19 at the Almendras Gym in Davao City, 92-84. This marks MisOr’s third straight appearance in the Mindanao Finals of the league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) and supported by ML Kwarta Padala, Nature’s Spring, Sulpicio Lines, Accel, Cokaliong Shipping, Reva Sandals, Gameface.Ph and Nike Basketball.

A 13-0 bomb at the start of the final quarter was all MisOr needed to send the Agilas into extinction, 79-57, and still 5:30 to play. The Agilas trailed by as much as 15 points, 50-65, but managed to build good momentum by closing in at the end of the third period, 57-66. Sadly, that was the best the Agilas could do. Lowell Briones ignited the run with a triple and Nathaniel Cruz capped the demolition with a slam dunk.

Cruz led MisOr with 18 points. Five other MisOr players submitted double-figures in Ramil Tagupa and Jerome Numeran with 12 and Briones, Dennis Concha and reigning Player of the Week Anton Villoria with 10. Jonjon Gonzaga was the lone Agila in twin digits with 14. Boboy Berami and Joel Solis finished with nine markers each.

Game One of the best-of-three Mindanao Division Finals between MisOr and top seed MP Warriors-GenSan will be on November 29 (Thursday) at the XU Gym. The Warriors of Manny Pacquiao will host Game Two on December 1 and if needed, Game Three on December 2. Over in the Visayas Division, top seed M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City of Michel Lhuillier will have to wait until a little longer to know their opponent in the Visayas Division Finals. The semifinal series between Cebu Landmaster-Mandaue of Joe Soberano and Arthro Kontra Arthritis-Cebu of Jonathan Guardo is tied at 1-1.

e deciding Game Three will be on December 1 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Center. Landmaster won Game Two, 83-80, last November 21 at the New Cebu Coliseum.

How They Scored:
HOLCIM PRYCE-MISOR (89) – Cruz 18, Tagupa 12, Numeran 12, Concha 10, Villoria 10, Briones 10, Nailon 5, Moreño 4, Abadia 3, Apepe 2, Sanchez 2, Jabagat 1, Sevilla 0
DUTERTE AGILAS (68) – Gonzaga 14, Berami 9, Solis 9, Razon 8, Ilanga 8, Sagad 6, Te 5, Sampilo 4, Mejorada 3, Delica 2, Bajinting 0. Period Scores: 24-20, 49-38, 66-57, 89-68.(Anthony Servinio)