Unbeaten UST, St. John fives pace SBP U-16

BAGUIO ,Philippines  – UST held off International School for Better Beginnings, 61-58, while St. John Institute crushed St. Agnes, 95-45, as they shared the lead with 2-0 cards in the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas National Under-16 basketball tournament at the University of Baguio gym.

UST leaned on Paulo Corre and Rean Rupert Berdijo foil the Lucena-based squad, which beat Claret School, 77-51, in the opener.

ISBB had a chance to send the game into overtime but Glenn Gilbert Ninobla missed a triple in the last 17 seconds, enabling UST, which beat host University of Baguio, 73-67, to escape with the win.

In other results, University of the Visayas bounced back from a 91-99 overtime loss to St. John Institute as it trounced La Union College of Nursing and Arts, 84-71, tying the San Fernando-based squad at 1-1 in the company of Holy Child School of Davao, St. Clare and ISBB.

The Davaoenos, who lost their first game to LUCNAS, 59-70, dumped St. Clare, 73-58, and prevented the Caloocan-based school from scoring a double after its girls’ team notched its second win with a 90-54 rout of winless Jose de Venecia Sr. National High School, 90-54, at the Cordillera Career Development College gym in Benguet.

Twelve teams are entered in boys and five in girls in the nationwide grassroots program organized by SBP headed by its president and PLDT-Smart chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Philex Mining, Smart, Summit, Energen, and Molten.

Sacred Heart clobbered St. Bridget, 91-79, in the other boys’ game.

Hostilities resume today with five games on tap at UB and three matches at nearby ECI gym in Benguet.