By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
St. Robert’s International College, renowned for its high school basketball program in Iloilo City and Western Visayas, has earned its place in the national final round of the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) basketball tournament set to take place in Manila.
Coached by John Guanco, St. Robert’s has once again risen to prominence by securing a berth in the NBTC national finals after achieving a runner-up finish in their Regional Visayas leg.
According to NBTC tournament regulations, the top four teams progressing to the semifinals are guaranteed spots on the national stage. St. Robert’s not only qualified for the semifinals but also advanced to the championship round of the Regional Visayas leg.
However, the path to the championship title eluded St. Robert’s when they were narrowly defeated by Cebu’s Khalifa-University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), with a final score of 62-57.
Despite this setback, the team from Iloilo showcased an impressive tournament performance, suffering only one loss throughout the event.
St. Robert’s embarked on its NBTC journey with a decisive 74-63 win over Tacloban, followed by a strong 77-57 victory against Jordan National High School from Guimaras.
In the quarterfinals, St. Robert’s continued their dominant streak with a resounding 72-48 win against Bacolod Tay Tung, clinching their place in the NBTC semifinals.
The semifinal round presented a more formidable challenge as St. Robert’s faced off against the UNBL-Don Bosco team in a tightly contested match. In a grueling encounter, St. Robert’s emerged victorious with a 76-70 scoreline, securing their finals appearance against Cebu.
