New recruit Omar Gordon and team skipper Leyton Buenaventura lifted Far Eastern University to the Red Bull Half Court Manila Qualifiers men’s division crown after turning back Team Elite, 12-11, in overtime Saturday evening at the Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong.
Two baskets from the high-leaping Gordon and skipper Leyton Buenaventura in extra time broke the 10-all deadlock of the 10-minute regulation play, handing the men’s championship title for the Tams.
The Tams, along with teammates Rojan Montemayor and Cliford Taboctaboc, and Team Elite now head to the national finals of the tournament on April 27, along with their respective semifinal foes.
“We just got to play smart. We can’t let that to happen anymore, making bad mistakes. We got to make it right,” said Buenaventura, after the Tams allowed Adrian Soguilon to convert a final basket for Team Elite in the dying seconds of regulation.
Team Elite, composed of Jayvee Bautista, Adrian Suguilon, Robert Altarejos and Bryan Nikko Lazo, fought their way into the finals with the Tams, after they got past Team Kamalayan, 21-20.
FEU arranged a showdown with Team Elite after they disposed of Coach J Hoops Academy (CJHA), 9-5.
The ballers of CJHA are Justine Repalda, JC Tira, Abel Buenaobra and Jovic Pachoro, while Team Kamalayan is bannered by Alvin Moreno, with team members Ervin Valderama, AJ Jawili and John Jeremy Macapagal
In the women’s division, former national player Camille Claro showed the way for NZ Creamery as they handed Adamson Falcons Blue a 13-6 beating in the finals.
The finalists from Manila Qualifiers will join the teams from the Cebu Qualifiers, the Davao Qualifiers, the Manila Qualifiers and the Wild Card.
All finalists will have chances to make it to the Red Bull Half Court World Final, which will be held in New York in October.