BLACKTOWN Storm’s U14 Boys3 came from behind to sink North Bears in the final, 63-58, to take the 2014 Waratah League championship at Kevin Betts Basketball Stadium in July.
By RAYMOND POLICARPIO
The home side had been primed for this game. The North Bears had appeared to relegate themselves to the doldrums.
Luke Vrcelij (6 points), Loukas Triantis (6 points) and Michael Cheok served as defence breakers to give way for wingmen Ross Poole (15 points) and Rob Saywell (12 points) to take easy board shots as the Bears took the first half, 35-18.
The Bears were having success at their pick-and-roll plays which confused the defence put up by the Storm team.
With nothing to lose and everything to gain, the Storm kept tugging at the Bears’ heels with Isaac Gundi (7 points), Jomari Jueco (4 points), Renard Manuel (11 points) providing the much-needed support to sentinels Russ Sulit (11 points) and Ethan Tecson (30 points).
By the third quarter, the Storm managed to trim the Bears’ lead to 9, at 48-39, with one quarter left to play as Sulit and Tecson kept puncturing the hoops.
Coach Kharl Carlos gave the last quarter directives and exhorted his wards to give all they could muster for glory.
“A nine-point lead can be overcome in the last quarter,” he argued, with a final instruction to keep pressing their opponents’ ball-handlers.
The full-court press was a magnificent ploy as the Bears could not get the ball down court to their shooters.
It was at this juncture that speedster Manuel made good on his transition plays, Sulit with his follow-ups, and daggerman Tecson with his treys and sneaky incursions that left the Bears dazed as Blacktown Storm took the upperhand, 52-48, with three minutes left to play.
From that point on, Sulit, Manuel, Tecson and Gundi just traded baskets to hang on to their lead and snatch the 2014 U14 Boys 3 title, 63-58.
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PICTURE
Storm’s Nathan Tecson driving lay-up shot through Bears’ defence.
