Thursday, April 19, 2007 Prisaa 7 dribblers score third win By Jade S. Violeta Sun.Star Staff Reporter
ILOILO City - The Prisaa 7 quintet overcame a slow start and some nervous moments before recovering at crunchtime to log their third straight win in the 2007 Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) National Games at the University of San Agustin gymnasium yesterday.
The Prisaa 7 of coach Jay Ramirez secured their victory at the expense of the Angeles University Foundation Great Danes-powered Prisaa 3, 87-76, to remain undefeated in their bracket.
The team, composed of players from the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) plus a few imports from Bohol, started slow as they allowed the Great Danes to speed off to an 8-0 start in the opening quarter.
But USJ-R’s Lyndon Gudez and John Malinao led a Prisaa-7 rally in the closing minutes to move their team to within three points, 15-18, at the end of the period.
The boys of coach Ramirez employed a sticky defense in the second quarter, while employing a smooth offense to finally overtake Prisaa 3, 37-30, at the bend.
The team’s biggest quarter came in the third as Gudez sparked a searing 17-1 run that gave Prisaa 7 its biggest lead in the game at 54-32 with four minutes and 13 seconds to go in the third canto.
The Great Danes, however, rallied to cut the deficit, 47-61, going into the final canto.
Prisaa 3 then tested the nerves of Prisaa 7 in the opening minutes of the fourth period as it further trimmed the deficit to, 65-70, with still 4:52 to go.
But Carlo Padayao, who just joined the team, came to Prisaa 7’s rescue as he nailed a trey in the ensuing play to spark another run that restored the team’s double-digit lead in the last 1:23 of the game.
The Great Danes failed to recover from that blow as they scrambled madly to get back but Prisaa 7 held on to the lead until time expired.
Gudez led all scorers of Prisaa 7 as he logged in 23 markers including three three-point bombs, while Niño Ramirez added 14.
In the women’s division, the University of Cebu Lady Webmasters and USC Lady Warriors-powered Prisaa 7 quintet also stretched their winning roll to three games with a thrilling 81-77 win over host Prisaa 6.
In the medal race, Prisaa 7 remained lodged at the second place after improving its tally to 30 gold, 37 silver and 23 bronze medals entering the fifth day of competition.
Host Prisaa 6 still leads the pack with a dominant 46-30-19 tally, while Prisaa 11 (Davao) is at third with 23-12-24.
Among those who won gold medals for Prisaa 7 yesterday were Jorge Pinanonang of UC, who topped the men’s 400-meter dash in men’s athletics with a time of 12.51 seconds, and the men’s 4x100 relay team composed of UC’s Anthony Santillan, Arsenio Codilla and Pinanonang and Timoteo Margaha o fthe University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF).
USPF’s Harren Melendez joined the gold medal haulers of Prisaa-7 as he topped the men’s 110-meter hurdles.
In swimming, Prisaa 7 garnered four golds yesterday after the women’s 4x200 freestyle relay team of Katrina Rubi, Maribeth Ababon, Aimee Cobrador and Kruzette Solijon topped the event in 10 minutes and 57.80 seconds at the at the Iloilo City Sports Complex Aquatic center.
Joining the cast of gold medal winners for Prisaa 7 is the women’s lawn tennis team under coach Bobby Soquiño, who won two golds in the doubles event courtesy of Floureza Alesna and Jane Rachel Idos at the University of San Agustin tennis courts.
The men’s table tennis team of coach Jessica Honoridez also garnered four golds at the SM City Iloilo, courtesy of UC’s Michael Motel, Jay Impuesto and Jonathan Jacalan.
Foundation University’s Jennifer Villa also racked up another gold for Prisaa 7 as she dominated the middle heavyweight category of the women’s taekwondo also at the SM City Iloilo.
Leading the cast for Prisaa 7’s silver medalist were University of the Visayas’ jins Erman Bucao and Weson Ramoneda under coach Manny Bula, and April Salo of UC.
The veteran Bucao, who got injured in the knee after his last fight, settled for the silver medal in the lightweight category in, while Ramoneda landed the silver in the finweight category.
Salo, for her part, secured the silver in the bantamweight division.
The other silver medalists of Prisaa 7 are Mary Rose Almario of USJ-R (discus throw), UC’s Gay Magrama (vocal solo), Mendel Lopez (men’s 5K run), Jedrey Tan of USJ-R (lawn tennis singles), Aimee Cobrador (women’s 400m freestyle), Lorhiz Echavez (50m breast stroke) and the men’s and women’s 4x100 medley relay teams. (JSV)
