By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
It seemed like 40 minutes of basketball can’t separate the University of Antique Laboratory High School and the Sta. Justa NHS in the National Basketball Training Center-Antique leg finals.
It was a nip-and-tuck affair between the two finalists up until the last 2 minutes of the game where UA-LHS edged SJNHS, 55-48, to advance in the NBTC national qualifier in Ibajay, Aklan this 2020.
Defense was the name of the game as both squads contested every shot and challenged each possession with urgency.
Finding a way to surprise the other camp, UA-LHS tried to go to their main gunner John Galos and put him in numerous isolation plays. The move paid off for them as they started to capture their confidence in shooting seeing their main man operate.
The last two minutes of the final frame went down to the wire as SJNHS stayed within striking distance through their aggressive drives to the cup.
Despite their interior attack, UA-LHS answered every basket they made and had a comfortable cushion with a minute left in the ball game to seal the title.
