Chiang Kai Shek nips SHS-Ateneo

CEBU, Philippines - Reigning Seaoil NBTC League national champions Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSC) stopped host Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, 64-49, in a friendly game that capped the CKSC Cebu Goodwill Tour at the Magis Eagles Arena in Canduman, Mandaue City.

The Blue Dragons spewed fire early, racing to a 33-23 halftime lead behind the 11 first half points of Cebuano Shannon Gagate who once played for the University of San Carlos.

CKSC controlled the tempo of the game and never gave the Magis Eagles any space to mount a rally until early in the fourth quarter. After taking a 47-36 lead at the end of the third period, CKSC was held back by an SHS-AdC rally which cut the lead down to seven points. This is when NU-bound Medz Salim silenced the hosts and had CKSC pulling away for good.

Salim had nine points alone in the fourth quarter to settle the game. He had 21 points to lead the visitors while Gagate added 18. Janjan Jaboneta led the hosts with 12 points before fouling out of the game. CKSC won its first friendly game against USC, 67-63.

The game concluded a whole day of basketball activities which included a free basketball clinic for students of the Mandaue area who were taught by the CKSC coaches and players. They also gave away free basketballs and t-shirts to the students of the clinic.

On their last day in Cebu, they had a feeding program yesterday at the Community Scouts Youth Guidance Center, an orphanage in Duljo. The goodwill trip was organized by the CKSC Alumni Cebu Chapter led by its president Tony Dy and past president Jimmy Yap who once played basketball for CKSC.

This was CKSC’s first trip to Cebu after 48 years. Yap was with the team that visited Cebu in 1966 where they faced off against CEC and San Miguel. (FREEMAN)