TIP gatecrashes NCC Elite Eight

TANAUAN CITY, Batangas-- Technological Institute of the Philippines routed Lyceum Northwestern University, 86-67, Sunday to clinch a spot in the main tournament of the National Collegiate Championship at the Faith Gym here.

Jorey Napoles fired 12 points while Nino Ibanes and Terrence Tumalip scattered 10 apiece as the Engineers hammered out the one-sided win that secured them a berth in the Elite Eight of this annual tournament organized by the Philippine Collegiate Champions League.

It was a sweet win for the Engineers, who were never expected to make it this far, much more in the main tournament where they will be pitted against the “Big Boys” of Philippine collegiate basketball.

“All we want is respect,” said TIP coach Potit de Vera, who toiled as a long-time assistant in the bigger leagues before finding his break with the Engineers.

Coming from nowhere, TIP stunned Mapua, 70-64, Tuesday and then edged the St. Clare Saints, 62-51, in their next game at its TIP Casal Gym in Quiapo, Manila to arrange a showdown with LNU, which reigned supreme in the North Luzon qualifiers in Dagupan, Pangasinan early this month.

Inspired by the pair of huge triumphs, the Engineers kept their momentum and went on attack mode early to pull away from the Dukes, who just couldn’t get anything going and fell out of the tournament.

TIP thus earned the right to advance to the Elite Eight where it will join the company of UAAP champion Far Eastern U, NCAA titlist Letran, NCAA runner-up and defending champion San Beda, UAAP second placer Santo Tomas, CESAFI title-holder University of San Carlos and Vis-Min qualifier winner University of the Visayas.

The last spot was being contested by National U and Olivarez College, the Southern Luzon-Bicol qualifiers champion.

And TIP did it with superb team effort and crisp passing.

Ibanes, Tumalip and Jemuel Nemucatcat facilitated the Engineers’ fluid offense as the troika combined for 20 of their team’s 30 assists, which was more than half to the 14 dimes dished out by the Dukes.

“When I took over here, I espoused selfishness and that has always been the battle cry of this team,” he added.

A whopping P1 million and the tag as the league’s best college team await the winner of this annual tournament.