By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After almost two months of non-stop basketball action, the 2022 Iloilo City Basketball Club (ICBC) second conference grand finals is ready for tip-off.
For all the marbles, it will be team Big Roys by Robejes Wonders going up against the Alvin’s Fitness Center (AFC) squad for the prestigious ICBC championship title.
After two grueling semifinal games against the tough Fueled Wings team, team Big Roys finally pulled off the much-needed win and nipped them during the do-or-die Game 2, 80-77.
It was a huge bounce-back game for team Big Roys after losing their twice-to-beat advantage when Fueled Wings outdueled them during Game 1.
However, last conference’s finalists had to dig deep in Game 2 as Fueled Wings didn’t back down from the challenge and also gave their all.
It was Fueled Wings who dictated the tempo early in the game as the duo of Ron Cambas and Edmund Yudelmo torched Big Roys, helping them establish a 10-point lead in the second half.
Despite the offensive onslaught Fueled Wings uncorked in the next sets, Big Roys had huge responses led by their main man John Rey Madulin.
Aside from Madulin’s consistent scoring, Big Roys also got a huge lift from Dacks Galvez who made it rain from downtown in the crucial minutes of the game.
Big Roys then successfully erased Fueled Wings’ lead in the last quarter and everything just began to fall in place for them.
With only 20 seconds remaining in the game, Big Roys iced the game after swingman Dexter John Lacanaria sank both of his shots in the charity stripe.
Meanwhile, during the first scheduled game, team AFC swept Selecta during their semifinal duel, 104-91.
It was a collective effort for team Alvin’s as five of its players scored in double-figures led by Gerrod Villaruz with 21 big points who was named the Motech Best Player of the Game.
Team Alvin’s started to pull away during the fourth set after Villaruz sank four three-pointers that ballooned their lead to as much as 26 points.
Selecta attempted for one final run in the last quarter and played at a faster pace to generate more scores but team Alvin’s timely baskets in the last five minutes made it hard for them to come back.
Team Big Roys and Alvin’s squad will meet for Game 1 of the ICBC grand finals today to be held at the Monterosa Subdivision basketball gym, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
