BERKELEY School and Saint Louis University - Laboratory High School will have their hands full as they open their title retention bid in the Baguio leg of the BEST Center Twin Tournament which open's September 10 at the Easter College Gym.
Berkeley, also the reigning Luzon regional champion will gun for its fifth straight crown in the SBP division while SLU-LHS seeks a rare three-peat in the passerelle division in the Milo backed tournament organized by the Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training (BEST) Center, the Philippines’ premiere basketball and volleyball school that utilizes scientific approach in teaching sports.
Now on its 31st season, the SBP/Passerelle Twin Tournament provides an avenue for young cagers to apply what they learned from basketball trainings and showcase their skills in the court.
A banner of 13 squads will see action in the paserrelle division with defending champion SLU-LHS competing in bracket B against Berkeley, Saint Louis La Union team B, Baguio City High School, Baguio Central University and Saint Louis School Center.
Leading the cast in bracket A is last year's runner up Saint Louis La Union team A, SLU-LHS team B, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Montessori, University of the Cordilleras, Baguio Patriotic High School, University of Baguio and La Trinidad's Star College.
In the SBP division, out to stop Berkeley's four year reign are SLU - Laboratory Elem. School Mt. Carmel, Saint Louis La Union, UC, Mabini Elem. School, and Star Colleges.
Aside from the Baguio games, elimination matches will also be held in other areas of Luzon, the National Capital Region, Visayas and Mindanao to determine which teams will qualify for the regional championships. The best teams from each region will battle it out in the national finals.
The tournament features unique rules wherein a team must field a new set of five players for each for the first three periods. The coach may then play any combination he wishes for the final canto, thus guaranteeing each player a minimum of 10 minutes of court time.
SBP is for players aged nine to 11 while passerelle is for 12 to 14 year old and was conceived in order to act as a bridge between the SBP and the Juniors Division for players 18 and under.
It is also a perfect opportunity for MILO BEST Center students to apply what they have learned during the summer sports clinic founded by Coach Nic Jorge. (Roderick Osis)