THE Minglanilla Archangels sure found an angel in the second half against Talisay.
After hitting nothing but bricks in the first half, Abante Minglanilla overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to stun Talisay Aksyon Agad, 72-58, and capture the basketball championship in the 2024 Rhea Gullas Cup last Saturday night at the packed Minglanilla Sports Complex.
“The team was very tense in the first half. We wanted to start strong and I think the players felt the pressure,” said Minglanilla coach Boyet Velez.
Talisay City got off to a fast start and led 19-11 after the first before extending their lead to 15, 39-24, at halftime.
“Talisay also played man-to-man and we’re able to trap our ballhandlers,” said Velez.
At half-time, Velez told his players to relax and not to hurry their shots and they also changed their inbound play.
“Wala na sila ka trap sa amo ball handers and we were able to score nine straight points and we got our confidence back,” said Velez.
However, Minglanilla entered the second half with renewed focus and fought back with a 29-11 blast in the third to take a 53-50 lead heading to the fourth canto.
With the Minglanilla crowd in a frenzy, the Archangels poured it on, extending their lead to 64-55 at the halfway point of the fourth and keeping Talisay City at bay to win Game 3 and take home the coveted title.
JC Rex Sanguenza, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, scored 20 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and five steals to lead Minglanilla to victory. He was later named the Finals MVP.
James Lim added 18 points, while Lance Salma contributed 12 markers.
John Lasola had 16 points for Talisay, which sputtered in the game’s last 20 minutes, scoring only 19 points in that stretch.
Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, who treated the team and coaching staff to an overnight stay at a resort in Moalboal, lauded the team for their achievements.
“To our Abante Minglanilla Basketball Team and Coaching Staff, kinasing-kasing nakong pasalamat for making Minglanilla Proud! All your Hard Work, blood, sweat and tears have earned us the CHAMPIONSHIP! Thank you for showing us nga indeed, Walay Imposible Basta Mag Kugi!” he said on his social media account. / JNP