ATHLETICS

Tiong Lian Update

Henry Liao (XS'72)

Posted Wednesday, 01-Feb-2006 3:13 PM

    
     The Xavier Stallions steamrolled to an easy 105-48 victory over St. Jude Catholic School Monday night at the UNO Gym for their four consecutive win in as many games in the juniors division of the 30th MMTLBA tournament.

      A lethargic St. Jude team, typified by a lackluster
performance from its main man Carl Cua (who finished with just two rebounds and 10 points, including just one in the second half), was in the game only in the first half when it went on a 9-0 run to take a 13-11 lead after Xavier mentor Patrick Aquino was forced to shuffle his lineup following two quick fouls by Woody Co, who shadowed Cua at game’s start.

     After Cua made a pair of free throws to give his school its last lead, 15-13, the roof caved in for St. Jude.  Xavier engineered a 14-0 run bridging the first and second quarters to move ahead for good, 27-15, behind Irvin Sta. Maria’s pair of three-pointers. (First quarter score was 22-15 in favor of the Stallions.)

     Xavier was never threatened or challenged thereafter. It led 50-27 at halftime and 76-39 after three quarters.  Midway through the third quarter, the St. Jude coach, who piloted St. Stephen’s to back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 (before moving his entire coaching staff to St Jude this season),  gave up on his first stringers (and the game itself) by sending in his reserves.

     Even then, the Xavier boys continued to step on the gas with its unrelenting, suffocating defense and pile up the points on the other end with its outside shooting and inside incursions off fastbreak opportunities. The killer’s instinct was felt everywhere as even Aquino’s second- and third-stringers did not let up despite the lopsided score.  Remember, Xavier had already scored 50 points by halftime while St. Jude finished with only 48.

     Balanced scoring was also a factor in Xavier’s 57-point victory, the biggest in four assignments so far.  Five players scored in double figures--Co, 23 points along with 15 rebounds; Charles Tiu, 17 points (including a pair 0 of three-pointers); Sta. Maria, 14 (11 in the first half, 4 three-pointers); Marc Tio, 10 along with five boards; and Alejandro Torres, 10 (all in the fourth quarter and consecutively for Xavier, from 83-41 to 93-41, on a pair of two-pointers and three-pointers each).

     Ten of the 13 players fielded in by Aquino scored. Xavier had 14 three-pointers in the game.  Shaun Lim  scored nine markers on three treys, collecting the Stallions’ final six points, including the three that sent the team past the century mark (99-45 to 102-45).

     At 4-0, Xavier leads the standings.  Chiang Kai Shek is second at 4-1, including Monday night’s 85-65 shellacking of UNO.  St. Jude and UNO are tied for third with identical3-2 records. (St. Jude defeated UNO, 6 8-61.) Two-time defending titlist St. Stephen’s is fifth at 1-3, followed by Hope Christian, 1-4, and Grace Christian, 0-4.  Xavier plays winless Grace Christian Wednesday night (Jan. 25, 5:30 p.m.) and takes on UNO Friday night (Jan. 27, 7 p.m.) in its final elimination-round encounter.

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