DAGUPAN, Pangasinan – The end is near.

3-peat-seeking CALABARZON subdued Davao Region, 94-76, to advance to the finals of the 2012 Palarong Pambansa secondary boys basketball tournament at the LNU Gym here.

In a rematch of the 2011 finals, the Region IV-A crew, made up of San Beda College stalwarts, controlled the game all throughout in ousting the Region XI bets and ending their journey before a wild crowd at the venue.

The game was close with Davao fighting hard to stay in the running, until the two-time defending champions turned up the heat in the 4th to pull away.

“Last year hirap na hirap kami sa kanila nung championships (Last year it was much harder for us when we played them in the championships),” CALABARZON coach Noli Mejos told Rappler. “Thankful ako kase maganda yung nilaro ng mga players ko, lalo na sa defense (We’re thankful because my players performed well, especially on defense).”

Francis Johnson Abarcar paced Region IV-A with 26 points while Adven Jess Deputado chipped in with 19.

NCR makes it through

Meanwhile, National Capital Region made a triumphant return to the finals after demolishing Western Visayas, 92-60.

The Big City cagers gave the Region VI standouts difficulty early on, widening the lead when their foes started to wither.

Overmatched and dug deep into a hole, Western Visayas could get no closer than 18 points after halftime.

National juniors team skipper JJ Alejandro paced NCR anew with a game-high 20 points while Mapua teammate Enjerico Diego added 19 markers.

NCR assistant coach Ricky Reyes of Letran College stressed that they deserved to win.

“They’ve been working hard since November pa,” Reyes told Rappler. “They really deserve it.”

On facing a favored CALABARZON squad, Reyes said that the Big City cagers will go out and give a good fight.

“Of course, they (CALABARZON) are a good team. They’ve been champions for two years now,” he added. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to play hard and execute our game plan properly.”

Mejos, on the other hand, expects no lousy effort from the NCR in their winner-take-all tussle tomorrow morning.

“Siguro bugbugan talaga kase NCR is bigger than us (NCR is bigger than us so it will be a tough fight),” he said. “Mag-prepare kami ng maayos. Lalo na sa defense (We will prepare well, especially in defense).”

Same teams for elem boys

Defending champion NCR clobbered Western Visayas, 77-41, to get a shot at another championship in the 2012 Palarong Pambansa basketball  elementary tournament.

The Big City cagers bottled up Region VI’s star players in the first half to build an early 23-point lead that they widened to 58-30 at the end of the third.

In the second game, CALABARZON stuffed Zamboanga Peninsula with a 62-38 beating. 

The Region IX crew zoomed to an early lead but Region IV-A used its trapping defense to snatch the advantage and put the game away. – With reports from Isabel Rodriguez and David Lozada