GLOBALPORT Spurs hooked erstwhile titlists Rain or Shine Tiger Scribes in the one-game championship, 80-62 to cap an epic sweep of the 4th Pakitang Basketball League Willie Cabales Cup at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Monday night.
Winners of the inaugural season, the Spurs (7-0) reclaimed the throne in dominating fashion to become the first undefeated titlist and two-time champion of the league among sports scribes and backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Sportswriters Association.
Anchored by Aldo Aviñante, Paolo Poblador and Jerome Lagunzad, Globalport drowned Rain or Shine with a flurry of transition baskets right from the get go to pull away with an early 17-7 lead.
Since then, Globalport didn’t let go of the driver’s seat the rest of the way, even coasting to as many as a 24 point-spread early in the final canto en route to a clean voyage to the ‘Promised Land’.
Like a man on a mission, Aviñante poured 17 of his 29 points in the opening quarter alone to go along with four rebounds which earned him this year’s Finals Most Valuable Player plum.
Meanwhile, Christian Jacinto stuffed the stat sheet anew with 10 points, 13 rebounds and seven dimes as the Best Center Pioneers clipped Dymons, 51-47 to salvage third place.
Steals’ leader and Rookie Arnold Cagang was also instrumental for the Pioneers with 23 points, four assist and three steals.
For his impressive all-around showing the whole season, league’s top shot blocker Jacinto was also named the Season MVP after averaging 19.3 points, 15.5 rebs, 5.0 asts, 1.5 stls, 2.8 blks.
Christian Cortez had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Jonas Terrado added 11 markers and 9 boards in a losing cause for the winless Dymons.
Best Center’s Jacinto was joined by his team mate Cagang, TigerScribes’ Tupas and Dela Paz alongside Spurs’ Lagunzad in the Mythical First Team.
PGBL also feted Poblador and Aviñante and Bryan Ulanday of Spurs, Reuben Terrado of Best Center and Karlo Sacamos of TigerScribes as the Season 4’s Mythical Second Team.
Cagang was hailed as the Rookie of the Year, while Spurs’ Air Urquiola, Best Center’s Terrado, TigerScribes’ Alder Almo and Randolph Leongson of Dymons received Sportsmanship Awards.
