LA TRINIDAD SWEEPS ITOGON, TAKES 2ND STRAIGHT YAP CUP

March 22, 2025 Community Billboard

SECOND STRAIGHT Team La Trinidad flush the two sign after receiving the championship trophy from Rep. Eric Yap last Monday. With them is their boss, mayor Romeo Salda.

PML

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

It is two in a row for LA Trinidad after using a 15- 8 run and edged Itogon, 95-88 to win the Cong Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup Benguet
Basketball League at the Benguet Sports Complex Monday. Will Kean Lee reported anew after missing the first game and erupted with 34 big points nine of which came in the last four minutes to lead Trinidad to its second straight title . Lee was almost everywhere as he stole in Jan Ganilo with 47 seconds to go setting up Bryan Gravilez free under the basket for a 92-83 lead that all but settled the tournament.
“Itogon is really tough, it is their best game yet,” said an elated coach Jhong del Rosario who received with mayor Romeo Salda the Php200,000 cash prize and PhP150,000 for three organizations.

Lee motored to Baguio and will leave for Manila after a team dinner and be back in the Big City for a 6AM practice. Gravilez had another
double-double with 13 points and 19 boards as he won the finals most valuable player plum for his double-double postseason performance. Russel Tuazon took over the third canto en route to a 20 point production. “Gravilez really showed up in the post season, I have high praises for him,” added del Rosario. Hot Start Lee and Gravilez started Trinidad’s charge as they opened with 10 and six points to lead the defending champion to a 25-20 lead. Gravilez then combined with mythical five member Russel Tuazon to give Trinidad
a 38-24 advantage.

Kim Padawag, after changing his shoes, and Ganilo had four points each to lead Itogon in cutting Trinidad’s advantage to four, 45-41. But
Trinidad had a 4-0 closer including an Armando Pollante trey gave the defending champion a 49-41 lead at halftime. Tuazon led Trinidad to an 8-2 run and Trinidad take a 61- 50 lead. But Libert Caccam, Villanueva and Ganilo led a 16- 4 run as Itogon finally take the lead at 66-65 going to the final canto.. Villanueva led Itogon with 21 points while pulling down 13 boards, while Ganilo, Caccam and Padawag added 19, 14 and 10 for the bridesmaid which improved to second after a third place finish last season.

Meanwhile, the Creators nipped the Rep. Eric Go Yap-led Public Servants, 72-70, even spoiling the 19 point effort and 11 rebounds of the
congressman in the special showdown prior game 2 of the best of three finals. Cong Eric Go Yap scored on a put back on his miss to give the host a 6-0 lead before La Trinidad vice mayor hit another jumper from 15 feet for an 8-0 lead. The Creators with its second unit, however unleashed a 13-5 run and even the game. Another Creators 8-2 run and they are up 23-15 at the end of the first quarter. From there, the Creators took the lead which they momentarily gave up in the dying minutes to coast to the victory. Actually, the Public Servants could have tied the game with 1.3 seconds left but Yap’s chief of staff Kevin See missed an open lay-up.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN