San Jose de Buenavista, Antique—Adamson Baby Falcons standouts Gerry Abadiano and Encho Serrano scored big baskets to lead the National Capital Region to a 75-48 beating of host Western Visayas entry, Sta. Clarita International School of Iloilo.
Their huge effort helped propel NCR to the secondary boys’ basketball crown after they were done with their finals encounter with the Ilonggos on the final day of the 2017 Palarong Pambansa.
Abadiano and Serrano eked out 27 and 19 points, respectively, as NCR reclaimed the basketball crown it last won in 2015. The Falcons proved so strong in the field that they finished their stint with a seven-game sweep at the Binirayan Sports Complex.
NCR’s full-court press overwhelmed their Visayan foes and they never looked back after taking a 30-16 advantage at the end of the first period.
“We prepared well on our defense. And the players executed well,” said NCR coach Goldwyn Monteverde.
Monteverde is set to become National University’s next head coach in the UAAP junior basketball scene and after quitting his job with the Adamson Baby Falcons recently.
Abadiano’s triple in the last 6:37 allowed NCR to take a whopping 41-20 spread en route to the lopsided win.
Bryan Calama-an fired 11 points for the Ilonggos, who fell behind by 28 points in the third canto.
Serrano earned the Most Valuable honors in helping keep the Ilonggos at bay with his defense.
NCR’s efforts added the Metro Manila delegations’ overall medal haul of 98 golds, 66 silvers and 45 silvers.
Meanwhile, NCR also took home the gold in the secondary girls’ basketball action after smashing Negros Region, 57-32.
Southern Tagalog Region (Region IV-A) was second over with a 41-57-57 gold-silver-bronze tally.
They stood their ground in secondary girls volleyball when La Salle-Lipa needed five sets to beat NCR’s King’s International School, 20-25, 11-25, 25-16, 25-16, 15-9.
Western Visayas (36-25-37) placed third while Negros Region was at fourth (26-27-36).
Region IV-A went on to sweep the volleyball honors after they stopped Davao Region, 25-23, 24-26, 26-24, 25-20.
They also grabbed the elementary boys’ basketball honors after their 86-41 blasting of Western Visayas.
After settling for the silver twice, Region IV-A won the baseball crown at the expense of NCR, 6-3.
In football, NCR won over Western Visayas, 3-1, to retain the crown for another year.