Players of Batch 1999/Southchoice Inc. celebrate after winning their third straight championship crown in the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (Cecaba) 15th Dr. Chen Lieh Fu Memorial Cup. (CONTRIBUTED)
There were bumps and obstacles along the way but Batch 1999/Southchoice Inc. got the job done just the same.
Batch ’99 wrested its third straight crown, completing a rare grand slam with a 64-53 triumph over Batch 1995/ New Millennium Hardware last Tuesday in Game 2 of their best-of-three championship series of the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (Cecaba) 15th Dr. Chen Lieh Fu Memorial Cup at the CEC Gym last Tuesday night.
Batch ’99 swept the series, 2-0, as it continued its dominance in the annual tournament.
Earn Saguindel and Mark Bukiron were in their usual deadly form that saw them scoring 26 and 19 markers, respectively. Albert Uy gave Batch ’95 more headache when he chipped in 12 markers for Batch ’99.
Saguindel and Bukiron each scored 10 points in the third period when Batch ’99 launched a decisive 25-11 run that turned a slim 30-23 halftime lead into a fat 55-34 bubble heading into the final period.
Batch ’99 scored just nine points in the payoff quarter but Batch ’95 couldn’t capitalize, allowing the champion team to duplicate its 61-53 Game 1 victory.
In another dominant performance, Batch ’99 only tasted two defeats this season, losing once in the elimination round and in Game 2 of their semifinal series against CEC-B/PTT/Roadstar.
Batch ’99 never tasted a single loss when it won two straight titles highlighted by an eye-popping 42-game win streak.
Dean Dy Teves topped Batch ’95 with 22 markers but got little from his teammates as only Donald Anthony Ting managed to score in twin digits for the losing finalist with 11 markers.