Nambatac strikes in NBTC All-Star game

MANILA, Philippines — Letran Squires shooting guard Rey Nambatac led the All-Star Light team to a 92-78 rout of its All-Star Dark counterparts in the 2013 Seaoil National Basketball Training Center All-Star Game at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City Sunday, March 3.

Nambatac, the Squires’ quicksilver swingman tallied 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals en route to Most Valuable Player honors in the official grassroots program and secondary education national tournament of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

The All-Star White Team busted out of the gates with a 16-4 lead behind San Beda Red Cub point guard Axel Iñigo and National University Bullpups forward Reggie Morido.

Reserves come back

When All-Star Dark Team head coach Michael Oliver of UAAP Juniors Champion FEU-FERN inserted his second and third stringers — forwards Mario Bonleon (La Salle Greenhills), Jeric Diego (Mapua), Jeric Adorio (Sun Yat Sen High School in Iloilo), and guards Jefher John Egan (St. Mary’s School of Cagayan de Oro) and Ricky Peromingan (Bukidnon Faith Christian School), the lead shrank to one, 32-31 with time down to 4:15 in the second period.

But when Oliver reinserted his starters – guards Jerie Pingoy (FEU-FERN) and Kyles Lao (Xavier), forwards Raph Atangan (NU) and Bong Quinto (Letran) and center Jon Macasaet (San Sebastian College-Recoletos) – to match up with the All-Star Light Team starting unit of Iñigo, Nambatac, Ralph Busa (NU), Morido, and Andre Paras (LSGH), the lead ballooned again, 44-35, at the end of two quarters.

In the third period, with the Dark Team’s bench on the court once again, they retook the lead, 69-61 after a Peromingan layup on two defenders with 9:20 left to play in the game.

Starters fail to match firepower

But just when it seemed that the All-Star Light Team of head coach Britt Reroma (of NCAA Juniors champion San Beda Red Cubs) was on the ropes, Oliver sent back his starting five that simply couldn’t match up in terms of firepower.

With the coaches and scouts from Adamson, Ateneo, FEU, La Salle, Letran, NU, San Beda, UP, and UST looking on, Nambatac erupted for 12 points on drives, pull-up jumpers, and free throws in an electric eight-minute span. And for good measure, he assisted on two other plays.

Nambatac completed his All-Star masterpiece with a dish to a cutting Kimlee Bayquin of Chiang Kai Shek High School for an imposing 90-76 lead with a little over a minute left to play.

Bayquin added another two points on a drive to settle the final score at 92-78.

Iñigo and Morido added 15 points each to their team’s win that was also the second triumph for Reroma in Seaoil NBTC High School All-Star Game. In the first staging of the late season classic that is patterned after the McDonald’s All-American tournament, the SBC juniors coach’s light team was powered to an 87-81 victory by Mapua’s Ace Basas.

Mario Bonleon led the All-Star Dark Team with 16 points while Jerie Pingoy added 11 markers of his own. – Rappler.com