ECNET Pinamungajan won the 1st Ungas 21-Under Basketball League after a nail-biting 76-73 victory over favorites Tuburan 360 at the Pinamungajan Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
The team’s stars, Ralph Emerson Pono and Jan Debutac, led the charge, exciting a big crowd of fans.
Pono scored 25 points, including two crucial three-pointers in the final minutes, and grabbed eight rebounds, earning Finals MVP honors.
Debutac added 23 points, capped by four clutch free throws in the last seconds that sealed the win.
Ecnet trailed early but slowly gained momentum in the second quarter. Tuburan fought back in the fourth, with Egil Mortensen, John Lorenz Perales, and Charles Gemarino making key shots. Big man Shinrie Wayne Menchavez dominated inside the paint, but missed free throws in the closing moments allowed Ecnet to take the lead for good.
Atty. Marvin Miralles, Pinamungajan councilor and chairman of the Committee on Sports, praised the tournament’s success. He said the turnout from residents of Pinamungajan and nearby towns was bigger than expected.
The league had 10 teams from different municipalities. Miralles said the tournament also helps kick off the town’s upcoming Fiesta Cup in May. He thanked the support of Mayor Glenn Baricuatro and the local government, and was assisted by tournament commissioner Naknak Tan. / JBM