OPOL Eagles and Green CdeO Eagles remained as the top ball clubs in the annual NMR-1 Eagles Governor’s Cup basketball tournament.
Again, it’s breaking even for the region’s Eagles basketball main rivals as Opol collared the prestigious 40-up division crown via 89-80 spanking of Green CdeO, and the latter defeating the former in 39-below championship, 85-74 at the Macasandig covered court here, over the weekend.
Eager to avenge their only loss in the elimination round against the same opponent, the Opol dribblers came in full force with the huge pair of Jojo Mahistrado and Boyet Alfeche finally showing up to solidify the team’s frontline already fortified by Rex Armojallas, Edmund Tilap, Jhun Alinas and pointguard Cyrus Diango.
It was, however, the spirited play of Opol’s most veteran forward in Gat Tamayo that sparked the engine of coach Toto Cortez’s mighty charges.
Defying age, the 50-something Tamayo strung up 10-straight points in the first quarter alone as Opol controlled the game early and never looked back.
“Walay kahadlok ang Opol ilang mga pinaka veterans gipadula gyod mao nga tam-is kaayo ilang pagdaug sa 40-up level,” one dribbler from other Eagles club was overheard as saying.
In the 39-below category, Opol massacred Green CdeO’s Team B by around 30 points in the semifinals.
In the final, the triumvirate of Joel Sollano, Pao Villar and Lomboy Mendoza were at it again. But the Green CdeO’s roster was so deep and stacked beefed up by Jun Daanoy, Bodie Tamparong, Jeff Morial, Macmac Labares, LJ Aquino and Elmor del Puerto to dictate the game from start to finish.
“Opol’s Sollano is such a brilliant guard pero kusog lang gyod ang pwersa sa pikas,” one spectator said of Green CdeO’s power 39 also anchored by Naknak del Castillo, Marvin Neri, Rjay Aquino, Mauricio Anderson and BJ Aquino, among others.