Doble: What if

Monday, January 30, 2012

LIVE and die with Kib.

That's what St. John's Institute did in Baguio City where the Falcons got noticed as a team to watch. Kyle Brandon Montalbo was averaging in the 30-point mark in the week long 16-U National Junior Championships.

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A 78-84 loss to La Union College of Nursing and Arts, however, put them in triple tie with University of Visayas. The Baby Lancers, who beat LUCNAS, got the higher quotient and the top spot while SJI, which surprised UV, survived second.

The other bracket saw Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori taming the University of Sto. Tomas and proving to themselves that not even the worst typhoon could stop them from aiming for the title.

The Baby Tigers succumbed to Cebu's best in the crossover. Our Falcons, likewise lost to the Cagayan de Oro champions 116-120 in a heartbreaker. SJI missed its chance for the finals as Kib was hospitalized with a torn knee ligament according to his coach in a text message on Saturday.

The ace point guard has 6 points in the first quarter and limped for 7 markers in the second before he was sent to the hospital as advised by the medical team covering the games.

While Leland Dusaban stepped up with 32 points, Carlo Sian 16, Juan Diego Montoya 16, Jai Arroyo 13, Thirdy Montinola 11 and Alex Rojas 10, the rest of the Falcons failed to finish what they have started.

Who knows how many points more would Kib have contributed if he was around. But injuries are part of the game. And the CDO cager who inflicted the KO punch (deliberately or not) is a star secret weapon of his mentor.

It is as if SHJM knew that to beat SJI is to stop Montalbo. Cut the head of the snake and you won half the battle. Have him ride a stretcher to a waiting ambulance---the better. He returns to court in civvies, that's it.

That's an old strategy sour losers and smart winners love to tell in watering holes. When the game is on the line, look for your player that can "kill and be killed".

Kib was a marked man since day one. It takes only one hitman to do the job. More often than not, the culprit got away with murder inside the mahogany court.

If you are a fan and ordinary spectator, you can just shrug your shoulder and say it’s a part of the game. In experts' mind that's a different thing. It's a game plan which is classified as only the planner and the executioner know about it.

Coach Richie was not able to answer who won third place (as this piece was written). But there were many ifs before this semifinal game against CDO. What if SJI won over LUCNAS?

They will be on top of their bracket at 5-0. But they will meet UST in the crossover semis. UV could have placed second and should have waged a physical game against SHJM.

Could the Falcons evaded The Baby Tigers and thought the CDO team a bit lighter opponent than UST? The Johnians have a psychological advantage if it meet again UV in the finals having won over the Baby Lancers in its opening game.

But as it is said: man proposes, God disposes.

Bacolod lost to La Union and placed number 2 in the quotient break. Instead of squaring off with the number 2 in the other bracket, it got CDO instead. It's really a What If thing.

At least, SJI was in the top 4 and had a chance to be the SBP National Junior Final U16 champion.

Kib and the rest of the Falcons have to live with that. It will make them grow wiser.

As an overused old hermetic adage said:no man is an island.

Like it is whispering...you can't win it all...alone.