Mertens rules Don Bosco hoopla
The smaller yet quicker Don Alois Mertens showed dominance on all fronts to topple the taller Michele Magone, 79-66, in their highly physical championship match to rule the DB@201 Don Boso Cebu Alumni, Inc. basketball tournament recently at the Don Bosco Technology Center gymnasium in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City.
Marlo Pono, an active college varsity playing for the Cebu Institute of TechnologyWildcats, battled foul trouble in the first three quarters but made up for lost time bigtime by pumping in 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter that enabled Mertens to turn the once close game into a one-sided affair.
With their vaunted running game and outside sniping in full swing, King Michael Najarro Hussain’s opening 3-pointer set the tone for Mertens to an early 20-16 lead.
Magone, however, fought back with savvy in the second quarter behind the efforts Britt Carlo Reroma, Chrissar Llegunas and Giovani Canceko to wrest the driver's seat at halftime, 39-37.
The deadly backcourt tandem of Celso Colegado and Kim-Kim Rebosura powered Mertens to a 52-44 lead late in the third period but Magone quickly sliced it down to just one, 53-54, going into the last quarter.
Magone tied the score at 55-all on a basket by Edvel Ronald Alforque with still nine minutes to play but that proved to be their last hurrah as Colegao and Pono sank back-to-back treys to ignite a blistering 202 run that suddenly put Mertens beyond reach with a 75-57 advantage with only 2:57 remaining in the game.
Colegado, Rebosura and Pono combined for 51 points in Mertens' title conquest. Llegunas and Alforque had 33 points in a losing effort for Magone.
Mertens took home P60,000 for their feat, while Magone got P20,000 courtesy of KMNH Dy Trading Corp. and KMNH Construction, Inc.
The trophies and the individual awards such as the MVP and Mythical Five will be handed out during the Don Bosco Alumni homecoming on January 20 next year.