Oro Bankers named Raagas league MVP

Monday, November 14, 2011

IT SEEMS like basketball life begins at 40 for veteran slotman Erwin Raagas of the third-running Blue Titans.

Arguably, the league's best center and a dead-ringer in perimeter area, the 6-foot-2 Raagas bested closest rival Stephen Go of the White Stallions in winning the MVP honor of the 1st Oro Bankers Inter-Color basketball tourney at the Nazareth gym here.

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The always cool Raagas, who scored 23 points in their last outing triumph over the winless Red Typhoon (81-72), failed to lead his team to the finals. But his all-around brilliance punctuated by his calm demeanor gained substantial votes from the tournament committee officials, the referees and the media for the much-coveted individual feat.

"Certainly, I'll be disappointed if Erwin did not win the MVP for my effort will just go down the drain. Of course, I'm very proud of him," said the Black Hawks' amazing Charome Marte, who killed the Titans' final hope when he scored a running jump shot off the long arms of a blocking Raagas from beyond the rainbow sphere and completed that classic 4-point play from the line.

"It was a very memorable moment for me and the fans. Imagine, you hit that kind of shot against the tournament MVP," recalled Marte, who will lead the Black Hawks on Friday's winner-take-all tussle with the White Stallions for the Oro Bankers caging's first inter-color title.

Making the Mythical Five were White's so-called hurricane duo of PJ Sanchez and Go, Blue's Marvin Luke Neri and Black's youthful pair of James Simon and Jet Yaranon.

Meanwhile, Raagas' little-known teammate Ian Baltazar, whom tournament director Arnel DyShines cited earlier as the "sniper to watch," surprised everyone during the 3-point shootout highlighting the finals' Game 2 action.

Wearing just a pair of slippers, the 5-foot-5 Baltazar scored 33 points to nose Neri (29 pts) for the 3-point throne.

"Wala ko nag-expect kay apas lang unya si Sir Mills (Ostrea) pa ang nagbayad sa akong entry fee. Suwerte lang gyod," said Baltazar.

Pre-shootout favorite Sanchez and Blue's 45-year-old guard Ostrea fired 27 and 24 points to finish third and fourth, respectively.

Marte, who won the contest 10 years ago, narrowly missed his chance in the top-4 round when he botched his last throw from the baseline's right corner.

But he took the blows without any regret.

"Alright, the MVP, the Mythical 5 and the 3-point title I've lost them all, but it doesn't matter," Marte said. "What's more important is the team championship on Friday," the cunning bachelor further said in a casual talk with fresh-from-US buddy Jayboy Rafisura, MisOr sports consultant and former Lagonglong Mayor Clint Jude "Entot" Puertas, Philhealth's Mandy Uy, White's Angel Dollente and Thirdie Cui, gracious host Alvin Pastor of Banco de Oro and this writer.