JEDDAH, 17 March 2006 — With a steely resolve, North Cotabato Blades brought down Pagadian Mohdy Express 77-71 on Friday and closed out the best-of-three championship series two games to one in the Inter-Maguindanao Division D in the 3rd UMEA-WPBL Championships at the Al-Khaki Sports Complex basketball court here.
Sleeping giant Huta Marine completed an unlikely sweep of their own series with Smint after scoring a 69-66 victory in the Inter-Commercial Non-Competitive Division C.
Noy Soliveres shot a game-high 26 points, Pat Cecilio made 20 and V. Villanueva added 12 as Huta Marine denied Smint a chance to extend the best-of-three playoffs with a second game triumph.
Smint had been widely tipped to win the division after running away with the lead. But their 8-0 record in the eliminations and 9-0 up until the knockout semifinal counted for nothing against the irrepressible Huta Marine coached by Henry Sunga.
The third tournament of the United Maguindanaoan Expatriates Association-Western Province Basketball League was officially ended with a fitting awards ceremony after the game watched by a fullhouse crowd on Friday.
Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla was in town and, a sports lover that he is, found time to grace the occasion. He was assisted by UMEA-WPBL chairman Camansa “Rams” Gunao in distributing the prizes. Also in attendance were Administrative Officer Camilo Mendiola of the Philippine Consulate General Jeddah, OWWA Case Officer Munil Tapodoc, Mohammad Bayoumi of Al Haddaf Sportwear and Al-Kaki Sports Complex manager Rami Khalid. Enlivening the evening was 1999 Philippine Consulate singing champion Benhur Atong who belted Tagalog ballads to the delight of the crowd.
Nanding Unas was hot all night long as though he were on a personal crusade to give Blades victory. Indeed he was. He finished with 31 big points to completely overshadow rival B. Maulana in the crucial third game of the series.
R. Mamalumpong contributed 15 points, Ahmad added 11 and Macarimban 10 for the Blades, who established control toward the end of the second quarter to enjoy a couple of 15-point leads the last at 52-37.
Maulana waged a virtually lone losing battle for Mohdy Express with 25 points. To his credit, Maulana repeatedly tried to put his team back in the hunt only to feel tiredness as he missed four free throws with a little under four minutes left. M. Malik with 17, Ungad with 12 and Acang with 11 were the other top scorers for Pagadian.
The Blades victory completed a championship double for coach Boy Corsega who steered Semacs to the Open Rated crown the week before. With Gunao in the organizing committee are Joemar Baganian, vice chairman; Wilson Maata, finance director; Teng Laguialam, commissioner; Edwin Tulah, assistant commissiner; Abedin Gunao, technical director; Pete Lapitan, executive secretary and Danny Olata, secretary.
Major Awards:
Inter-Commercial Open Rated Division A: Champion Semacs, 1st Runner-up Comfort Unilever, 2nd Runner-up Al Taqwa, 3rd Runner-up Panda Savola
Inter-Commercial Reinforced Division B: Champion WRJ Klasmeyts, 1st Runner-up King Abdul Aziz University, 2nd Runner-up Guardians, 3rd Runner-up Zafra
Inter-Commercial Non Competitive Division C: Champion Huta Marine,1st Runner-up Smint, 2nd Runner-up Times Naghi, 3rd Runner-up Al Yanabe
Inter Maguindanao Division D: Champion North Cotabato, 1st Runner-up Pagadian Mohdy Express, 2nd Runner-up Maguindanao, 3rd Runner-up Jolo Valiant
Individual Awards:
Inter-Commercial Open Rated: MVP Abril Mabarit, Best Center John Gatchalian (Semacs), Best Guard Boboy Rapada (Semacs), Best Guard Omeng Sahagun (Unilever Comfort), Best Forward Abril Mabarit (Semacs), Best Forward JR Villegas (Uniliver Comfort), Best Coach Boy Corsega (Semacs)
Inter Commercial Reinforced: MVP JR Villegas (WRJ Klasmeyts), Best Center Arno Yousri (WRJ Klasmeyts), Best Guard Nap Solis (King Abdul Aziz University), Best Guard Roen Villegas (WRJ Klasrneyts), Best Forward JR Villegas (WRJ Klasmeyts), Best Forward Abril Mabarit (King Abdul Aziz University), Best Coach Arnang Catador (WRJ Klasmeyts)
Inter Commercial Non-Competitive: MVP Pat Cecilio (Huta Marine), Best Center Pat Cecilio (Huta Marine), Best Guard Noy Soliveres (Huta Marine), Best Guard Toto Asperga (Smint), Best Forward Val Villanueva (Huta Marine), Best Forward B. Ramirez (Smint), Best Coach -Henry Sunga (Huta Marine)
Inter Maguindanao: MVP Nanding Unas (North Cotabato), Best Center B. Maulana (Mohdy Express), Best Guard S. Acang (Mohdy Express),Best Guard Mansour Gumbay (North Cotabato), Best Forward Nanding Unas (North Cotabato), Best Forward H. Macarimban (North Cotabato), Best Coach Boy Corsega (North Cotabato)
