Mt. Carmel tops under-14 in Miners Cup

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

OUR Lady of Mt. Carmel Montessori started slow but finished strong to finish off Saint Louis University, 62-74, in the 14-under boys division at the close of the Miners Cup 3.

Mt. Carmel leaned on the heroics of Neil Patrick Dimaculangan to lead the Camdas-based squad in their first championship at the jam-packed BCNHS Auditorium Sunday afternoon in the tournament organized by SLU Boys High Club 7882.

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Dimaculangan scored the telling blows in with eight points in the 10–0 run by Mt. Carmel after a 51 all-count with 6:38 remaining in the fourth period which saw at least 10 lead changes and seven deadlocks in the entire ball game.

Ending the third period with a 47-46 lead, SLU eventually tied the ball game halfway in the final canto before Dimaculangan, who was later named as the Most Valuable Player in their division, led the fourth quarter surge.

That searing run gave Mt. Carmel breathing room late in the final period as it enjoyed a 61-51 edge with 3:28 remaining in the ball game of the tournament supported by Philippine Mining safety and Environment Association.

SLU never recovered from that Mt. Carmel run as it managed to score its first basket after a drought in the 2:38 mark to stay within eight but this never intimidated the Carmellians as it countered every offensive run by the Louisians.

Dimaculangan finished the ball game with a game high 20 points, while Mt. Carmel’s second top scorer in Rodolfo Nievera had 14 markers as Joshua Fajardo added 10 points.

Mt. Carmel was also likewise given the Sportsmanship Award during the simple closing ceremony at the BCNHS auditorium.

Ivan Jay Atijera led all scorers for St. Louis with 10 points, while Santi Gines added nine points with Philex Mining Corporation and Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company backing the event.

In the 16-under division, St. Louis scored the first grand slam of the tournament by winning their third title in as many tournaments of the Miners Cup 3 by defeating erstwhile rival Baguio City National High School, 94-83, led by division MVP Daniel Tabangcura.

City High, meanwhile, took the girls division championship at the expense of St. Louis with Blessy Fideles winning the MVP honors.