ZAMBOANGA Valientes earned their payback against Letran and ran away with the championship in the 3rd Gov. Ann Hoffer invitational basketball tournament that came to an end Friday night.
The Valientes rode the early explosion of guard Kyt Jimenez and then went to Sam Deguara and Vic Manuel in the second half to hack out the 91-81 win over the Knights before an overflow crowd at the Cultural and Sports Center in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The 7-foot-6 Deguara was a dominant force inside, finishing with a game-high 24 points, including a couple of rim-rattling slams that highlighted the home team’s vengeful win over the same squad that dealt it its only loss in the eliminations, 65-62.
He was named MVP of the tournament.
The win was worth P700,000 for the team owned by former player Junnie Navarro and coached by veteran Bobedick Delos Santos.
Manuel and Jimenez’s San Miguel connection also worked wonders for the Valientes, as the former Beermen finished with 18 and 14 points, respectively.
Young gun Forthsky Padrigao and veteran Mike Tolomia combined for 17 points, all while slowing down Letran’s talented rookie guard Titing Manalili.
The Knights, who went on a 9-0 endgame run to upset the Valientes in their first outing, went home with the runner-up purse of P400,000.
Owner of 20 NCAA men’s basketball championships, Letran kept within striking distance of Zamboanga behind its relentless pressure defense.
But the Valientes’ experience and Deguara’s inside dominance were too much to overcome for the Knights and coach Allen Ricardo.
PHOTO: Zamboanga Valientes
In all, Zamboanga finished the tournament with a 4-1 record, counting earlier victories over NCAAand UAAP runners-up Benilde and La Salle, as well as an 87-86 thriller over returning MPBL team Starhorse-Basilan that sealed a finals berth.
Bronze goes to Starhorse-Basilan
Meanwhile, Starhorse-Basilan whipped the Blazers, 75-60, in the battle for third-place to take home P300,000.
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