Nueva Ecija D’ Generals withstood a furious third-quarter comeback from Cordillera Career Development College to secure an 80-66 victory Monday morning in the NBTC North Luzon Regional Championship at the UB Gymnasium.
The D’ Generals asserted their dominance early, pounding the Admirals inside to build a commanding 45-25 lead by halftime.
However, the Admirals surged back in the third period. CCDC outscored Nueva Ecija 23-9 to open the second half, cutting the deficit to just six points, 54-48, with 2:20 remaining in the quarter.
The D’ Generals regained their composure just in time, closing the period on a 6-0 run to enter the final frame with a 60-48 cushion. CCDC was unable to sustain the momentum in the fourth.
Jhonlord Cruz powered the D’ Generals with his all around game firing away 22 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and added three steals even as Erick John Genil added 17 points while Peter Hyndrick Morano Junio and Jairus Armendez added 10 and 11 points respectively.
Mathew Greg Rimando scored 12 to lead the Admirals with Mark Deniel Dela Cruz and Kevin James Dela Cruz chipping in 11 a piece.
Despite the season-ending loss, Admirals head coach Felix Manuel Jr. emphasized the importance of the tournament for youth development.
“The NBTC is very important because it exposes the kids,” Manuel said in Filipino. “There are many opportunities for these players. It is truly for the grassroots.”
NBTC program director Eric Altamirano noted that the under-21 tournament continues to serve as a primary scouting ground for Manila-based collegiate programs and national teams.
“With NBTC, we were able to identify the best talents, hopefully for our national teams, and also to be able to be seen by our top collegiate teams in Metro Manila,” Altamirano said. Roderick Osis
Nueva Ecija holds off CCDC rally to advance in NBTC Regional Championship
