By Jaime Joshua A. Frias II
Contributor
THE defending champion Gamba 97ers and the 94ers forced a do-or-die showdown after beating their respective rivals in the 2022 Xavier University High School-Alumni Basketball League (XUHS-ABL) last Friday night at the XU main campus covered courts.
The 97ers were too much to handle as they shook the twice-to-beat advantage of five-time ABL champion XUHS 99ers with a lopsided 79-50 victory and sent their semifinal playoff to a rubber match in the St. Faber Cup division.
The defending champions came with an intact roster for the first time, fronted by the big four of Nikku Benson Valles, Andrew Neri, Jay-ar Estrada, and ex-PBA player Norberto ‘Bitoy’ Omolon.
“This is just the first time in the league history that our best four players played together. Usually, one of them, two of them, three of them, then finally the four (of) them,” said assistant coach Virg Niño Cabahug.
The 99ers made a good start in the first two minutes of the ballgame, hitting two baskets from the three-point arc. But they were hobbled early by foul trouble, committing five with still three minutes to go in the first quarter.
It looked like they badly missed the services of their big man Marco Sabal, who could have helped Ryan Agapito in manning the paints.
“We were missing Sabal and two other key players. They could help us defensively,” said Albert Kauffman of the 99ers.
Earlier, the XUHS 2000 of team-playing manager RJ Yacapin eliminated the IAM 98ers, 85-68 to face the winner between 97 and 99 in their division.
Meanwhile, the 94ers wiggled out from the jaws of defeat to outlast the XU United, 75-72, and forged a deciding Game 2 in their own semifinal match-up.
Whoever survives will face the Sprocket 95ers in the final of the St. Francis Cup division.
The separate rubber matches will be held this week, pending an announcement from the league.
