THE NEW Ormoc City National High School Eagles claimed the title in the Ormoc stop of the SM National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) 2016 as they thwarted the Margen National High School Green Primes, 79-57, in the deciding Game Three of the finals over at the packed Ormoc City Superdome.
The Eagles got a combined 44 points from the duo of Raymund Sudaria and Alber Jay Fiel. Sudaria finished with a game-high 23 markers while Fiel added 21 for the Eagles which bounced back from a 66-70 loss in Game Two after winning the opener, 75-68.
The game was evenly fought in the first half with the Eagles carrying a 31-28 lead at halftime. But Ormoc City National High came alive in the third and outscored their opponents, 27-16, to open up a 58-44 bulge, a lead that the Eagles would hold until the final buzzer.
James Anonat and Lylle Pepito paced the losing side with 13 points each.
The NBTC is a duly recognized grassroots program by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), which aims to identify, prepare and develop young male student-athletes. It culminates with the annual National High School Championship, which will be held this March in Manila.
The NBTC League has produced outstanding players that have made a name for themselves both in the professional and collegiate leagues. Some of those notable players are Baser Amer, Jeron Teng, Mike Tolomia, Scotty Thompson, Kiefer Ravena and Cebuano Roger Pogoy.