UNDERDOG Cagayan de Oro National High School on Sunday pulled off an upset, even as NBTC national-bound Assumption Montessori School remains unbeaten in the 2017 Loyola Cup Basketball League at the Xavier University gym in Cagayan de Oro City.
The City High dribblers of coach Bismark Labadan stunned the Corpus Christi Knights, 88-79 with the troika of Alpuerto, Balo and Gayla coming up with 19, 15, and 12 points each.
This, as the AMS Jaguars of coach James Racines overcame the tough challenge of the visiting Pangantucan Community High School from Bukidnon, 66-60 to stay undefeated at 4-0 in the 17-under boys division.
Guard Milo Janao Jr., adjudged MVP in the recently-concluded SM NBTC regional finals, scored 16 points to lead the Jaguars’ thrilling victory over the wards of CdeO-based referee-turned Pangantucan coach Gualberto "Loloy" Estroga.
Fellow top gun, the CCS Knights of coach Carlomagno Dagalea suffered a contrasting fate.
Not even the early warning channeled through Dagalea’s assistant coach Jonas Molawan could save the Knights from falling to City High’s upset axe.
Molawan was told not to take the City High hoopsters lightly as they prepared well for the Sunday match.
Labadan’s charges waxed hot early en route to posting a commanding 18-point lead in the third quarter.
The Knights managed to inch closer by two in the fourth and final quarter but a defensive lapse allowed their determined counterparts from the public school to prevail.
“Mora’g nahuyang ang depensa sa Corpus tungod sa kakapoy paglakag sa kataposang kwarter,” Labadan said.
City High now has a 5-1 record in inflicting Corpus Christi’s lone defeat in four games.