THE National Bureau of Investigation Northern Mindanao (NBI-10), the league’s newest team, captured the title of the recent 2018 Travelers Invitational Basketball League here.
In winning the crown, the NBI-10 Investigators also avenged their eight-point loss against the same team in the elimination round by pummeling the Ruffians, 83-59 in the final on Thursday night, September 27, at the Gamma Farm Gym.
Red-hot Amay Dela Pena, paced NBI-10 with 22 points as Gerry Tamayo and Nardz contributed 14 and 12 markers each.
The Ruffians, who topped the elimination round with a 7-2 win-loss card, went cold offensively to give up the titular bout so easy.
Call it ironic as the Investigators even struggled to reach the final after failure to secure an outright semifinal berth.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Misamis Oriental Chapter (IBP-MisOr) Lawyers and NBI-10 finished joint second place in the elimination with 5-4 apiece, but the Lawyers claimed solo second, owing to the winner-over-the-other rule.
With the Investigators at third spot, they had to beat the Public Attorney’s Office for the second time in the rubber match before overcoming the Lawyers in the semifinals.
The Ruffians booted out CVL Maguindanao in the semifinals to stage a final showdown with the NBI-10.
“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the participating teams of the league. We hope to see them in the next league,” said league commissioner Judge Isagani Ravidas.
The score:
NBI-10 83 -- Dela Pena 22, Tamayo 14, Nadz 12, Abueme 4, Dodens 4, Bale 3, RG 3, Mila 2, Barbaso 1, Felden 1, JunMags 1.
Ruffians 59 -- Pastor 13, Alvarez 12, Balido 8, Chan 8, Vergara 5, Cagalitan 4, Lagrosas 4, Baclao 3, Dy 0.