By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
There can only be one.
After a grueling two months of competitive basketball in the Mayor Jerry P. Treñas Dinagyang Basketball Cup, the DPWH squad defied all odds and was named as kings of the Dinagyang Cup after toppling the tough Uniwheels Cars Display, 84-76.
DPWH had to overcome a hot-shooting Uniwheels team in the first half as they surged to an early 20-7 lead, courtesy of a torching Chris Loyola who went 8/8 from the field in the first quarter.
However, Uniwheels’ lead was short-lived after Jeff Manday and Sanjo Landry went to work, inching back into the game after Uniwheels suffered a two-minute scoring drought.
From that point, it was a battle of attrition as both teams weren’t willing to give even an inch. Diving for loose balls and scrapping for every possession.
It was Loyola again who carried Uniwheels in the third as he put on a scoring clinic, scoring over DPWH’s tough defenders in Michael Balbarada and Jhepoy Balleza.
With two minutes left in the final frame, and both teams deadlocked at 76 all, UNIGAMES star and Negros prodigy Manday took over and sank clutch baskets for a four-point cushion, 80-76, including a devastating cross over topped off with a sweet pull-up jumper.
Uniwheels ran out of gas in the waning moments of the game, struggling to convert any basket to end their championship campaign run with a first-runner up finish.
