St. Jude stuns Xavier, nears Fil-Chinese HS hoops crown

MANILA, Philippines – St. Jude Catholic School blasted Xavier School, 84-62, in Game 1 of the finals to move closer to the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA) 10th Anniversary Invitational Basketball Tournament crown on Thursday night, February 23, at Uno High School Gym.

Ethan Kaw spearheaded the Green Knights, unloading a game-high 29 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 assists that kept his side’s 11-game win streak going while inflicting the first loss on the Golden Stallions’ slate.

The hard-nosed forward scored 8 in St. Jude’s backbreaking 23-0 second-quarter turnaround that flipped the game from a 22-15 deficit to a 38-22 lead in its favor.

Kobe Chong, the top scorer of the tourney, also did his damage with an all-around game of 20 points, 10 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, while Enrico Feliciano scored 7 of his 14 points in that killer second-period stretch, on top of 6 steals, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds.

The Homer So-mentored Green Knights were never threatened from there, shooting 45% from the field as they enjoyed a lead as high as 33, 84-51, late in the payoff period of this tourney which is supported by Milk Magic, Spalding, Vital Purified Drinking Water, and Nexgen Asia.

It was a sweet redemption for St. Jude after tasting a 93-82 defeat to Xavier way back in the opening game of the season last November 13.

Now, St. Jude will shoot for the sweep with Game 2 set on February 28, Tuesday, at the same venue.

Andre Tan shot a horrid 3-of-18 clip to pace the Golden Stallions with 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Brent Tiu was held to just 11 points, 4 boards, 4 steals, and 2 assists and committed 7 of their 26 turnovers.

Xavier also struggled to find the bottom of the net, shooting a paltry 25% clip that spoiled their bid for a perfect season.

Also part of this 11-team Fil-Chinese league are Pace Academy, St. Stephen’s High School, Chiang Kai Shek College, Philippine Cultural College, Jubilee Christian Academy, MGC-New Life Christian Academy, Uno High School, Grace Christian College, and Hope Christian High School.

The Scores

St. Jude 84 – Kaw 29, K. Chong 20, Feliciano 14, Ngu 9, Vinoya 4, C. dela Cruz 3, Chu 3, A. Chong 2, K. dela Cruz 0, J. Tan 0, Sy 0, Zeng 0, L. Tan 0, S. Tan 0.

Xavier 62 – Tan 13, Tiu 11, Guevarra 10, Ramirez 7, Dagdag 5, Chio 5, Kua 4, Lim 3, Tan Climaco 2, Yu Chua 2, Dizon 0, Ong 0.

Quarters: 13-20, 42-31, 67-44, 84-62.

– Rappler.com