Santo Tomas U, representing Fairways and Blue Water Boracay, had to struggle but Boysen Paints/MLQU and Jaspage 1441/Lyceum won handily Friday in the inaugaurals of the National Basketball League at the UST Gym.
Playing without top center Marvin Ortiguerra, Boracay/UST squeezed past Belle Corp./San Sebastian College, 75-70, in the first game. Boysen Paints/MLQU whipped FedEX/PSBA, 75-65, while Jaspage 1441/Lyceum bested Healthy Options/St. Benilde, 81-70, to cap the successful opening of the country's newest amateur cage league.
The Growling Tigers trailed at halftime and had to bank on the clutch hits of former Philippine youth players Melchor Latoreno and Cyrus Baguio to subdue the SSC Stags.