ATHLETICS

Xavier Faces Chiang Kai Shek in       Tiong Lian Finals
Henry Liao (XS '72)

Posted Tuesday, 14-Feb-2006 12:01 PM

      The fight for all the marbles is on!

      It's top-ranked Xavier School versus second-ranked Chiang Kai Shek in the Juniors Division finals of the 2006 Tiong Lian basketball tournament.

      Chiang Kai Shek arranged a best-of-three titular series with Xavier after blasting St. Jude Catholic School, 80-68, in their knockout semifinal encounter on Friday night at the UNO gym.

      The championship series opener will be played on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14 (6:00 p.m.) while Game Two is scheduled on Feb. 16, 6:00 p.m. If necessary, Game Three will be held on Feb. 18 at 6:00 p.m.

      Xavier is undefeated in the tournament with a 7-0 record. It can be recalled that Xavier beat Chiang Kai Shek, 97-82, last Jan.7 in the season opener for both schools.

      The Stallions will be seeing action on Valentine's Day for the second consecutive year. On Feb. 14, 2005, they dropped a 94-81, triple-overtime decision to eventual champion St. Stephen's High School in Game One of their championship series. It was the first-ever 3 OT title-series game in Tiong Lian history.

      Unlike last season, Xavier is the heavy favorite to capture this year's finals and regain the Tiong Lian Juniors Division crown it last held in 2003.

      The Stallions are superior in overall talent (from 1 to 15) and have a deeper bench than their CKS counterpart.

      They also own the league's toughest all-game-long defense and are the more experienced team--in terms of seasoning--with prime MVP candidate Woody Co, three-point hotshots Charles Tiu and Philmon Yao and left-handed frontliner Marc Tio in their final prepcampaigns. (Age-wise, Chiang Kai Shek may have an older lineup. Bacolod-born Justin Chua, a bulky 6-6 southpaw out of the Basketball Association of the Philippines-sponsored "Tuklas Taas" project, is only in HS second year but already turns 17 in July. His Twin Towers partner Alexander Wong, an elongated and lanky 6-4 frontliner, is only a HS sophomore but will be celebrating his 19th birthday in July too.)

      CKS has the advantage in height. Aside from Chua (15 ppg) and Wong (12 ppg), both of whom are averaging in double figures in scoring and rebounding, the team has big bodies Steven Chua and Rainiel Mendoza off the bench. The latter two stand 6 feet or taller.

      How do you solve a problem like Woody Co, who holds the 2006 tournament record for most points in a single game with 53 against UNO (Jan. 27) and is the league's No. 1 scorer with a 25.7-point average? CKS better find a solution to this puzzle quick.

      The 6-3 Co does it all on both ends of the floor and has a decent outside shot. A double-team from Chua and Wong may or may not work. Though a shot-blocking monster, Chua is a bit slow. Wong, on the other hand, is quick but his body strength is questionable. In contrast, Co is solidly-built and more agile than Chua. Then again, against Chua, Co is giving up three inches. Expect CKS mentor Sunny Co to give Woody different looks on defense.

      Xavier guards, like Tiu and Irvin Sta. Maria, need to make their outside opportunities if only to provide more space for Co inside the paint. Tio may be hard-pressed to keep Justin Chua in check as the latter often uses his body to muscle around his defender when going for short jumpers or putbacks.

      All signs point to a 2-0 finals sweep by Xavier and an unblemished 9-0

finish by the Stallions. Crowd support may not play a major role, but

would it not be finer for students from Xavier to accompany their girlfriends or parents to the UNO gym Tuesday night for a Valentine's Day treat that happens to be Game One of the 2006 Tiong Lian Juniors Division title series?

      The players will surely thank you for that.

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