CAESAR Wongchuking and his Mighty Sports ball club reaffirmed their crown in a tightly contested match to conclude the 5th Republica Cup tourney held at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center.
They edged out Mighty Baliuag team 94-91 in the commercial division finals. Ola Adeogun finished with 22 points to lead Mighty Sports.
At the half, Baliuag trailed by only 3 points 56-59 after MJ Ayaay sank a 3-pointer right before the buzzer. In the third quarter, the two teams kept exchanging blows but Mighty Sports was able to fend off Baliuag’s short rally thanks to a scoring run by Paul Desiderio and Jamal Thomas.
In the fourth quarter, Baliuag was able to tie the game 84-84 after a barrage led by Ayaay and Chibueze Ikeh. But Adeogun made some crucial defensive stops to turn the tide for Mighty Sports.
In the closing seconds, Baliuag made a costly turnover leading to a Mighty Sports fast break and penalty shot for Adeogun.
The win is Mighty’s fourth crown after bagging the top prizes in 2013, 2014 and 2016.
“I would like to congratulate our coaching staff headed by coach Charles Tiu as well as our players for a well-played tournament. Mighty Sports will always support the sports programs of Mayor Christian (Natividad) and the municipality of Malolos,” team owner Caesar Wongchuking said.
Mighty Sports received a trophy and a P150,000 cash prize. Wongchuking said that his team also plans to donate the cash prize to a youth-oriented foundation.
The Republica Cup is an annual basketball league established by Malolos Mayor Atty. Christian Natividad in 2012 to commemorate the First Philippine Republic and as a means to promote local basketball talent.
Mighty Sports basketball team is owned by Mighty Sports Apparel & Accessories, Inc. a sportswear and accessories manufacturer that specializes in all types of sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, golf, and many more.
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