HOOPSTER: Grace Keeps Uno Winless, Xavier Whips SSHS For Win No. 11
by Henry Liao for philippinebasketball.ph (01/30/2011)

Team Standings:
Xavier School (11-0)
Hope Christian High School (7-3)
Chiang Kai Shek College (7-3)
St. Jude Catholic School (5-5)
St. Stephen?s High School (4-7)
Grace Christian College (2-8)
Uno High School (10-0)

Date: January 29, 2011
Venue: Chiang Kai Shek College Gym

Game Results:
Grace Christian College 85-Uno High School 73
Xavier School 81 ? St. Stephen?s High School 64

Grace Christian College kept Uno winless in 10 games with an 85-73 decision and three-time defending Juniors Division titlist Xavier School came within one win of sweeping the 12-game elimination phase with an 81-64 spanking of St. Stephen?s High School in the 41st Metro Manila Tiong Lian high school competitions.

In a battle between two low-ranked teams that are out of playoff contention, Grace Christian (2-8) trailed by as much as 12 points (44-32) early in the third quarter before pulling off its second win in 10 assignments behind the heroics of David Licauco, Jared Sy and Lanz Tan.

The hardworking Licauco finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds to win Freego Player of the Game honors. Sy collected 18 markers and Tan added 10 (including a pair of threes). Khristian Furigay and Kevin Lao each had nine markers for the winners. Lao also plucked down a game-high 18 rebounds for GCC.

Uno got 19 points from Philip Licaros and 10 from Patrick Rogando.

Quarter Scores (GCC-UHS): 13-18, 32-39, 53-52, 85-73.

In the main game, Xavier School led from start to finish and worked just hard enough to post a 17-point win over St. Stephen?s High School.

With the victory, the Golden Stallions formally earned the No. 1 spot in the four-team semifinal playoffs and will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against No. 4-ranked St. Jude Catholic School (note that the Judenites protested their one-point loss to Chiang Kai Shek College last January 28 and the case will be decided by Monday, January 31).

The Stephenians, on the other hand, officially bowed out of playoff contention.

Hope Christian High School and Chiang Kai Shek College face each other on Feb. 4 with the No. 2 seed and the only other twice-to-beat incentive at stake.

XS hotshot Jeron Teng once again secured the Freego Player of the Game award with 35 points and 15 rebounds.

Donal Ong got 11 markers and eight boards for the Golden Stallions, who extended their four-year winning streak to 30 straight games. Ong also went 3-for-5 from the three-point region to win the Burlington Three-Point Shootout award.

St. Stephen?s HS was bannered by 6-3 Kent Lao, who collected 15 points and 13 rebounds, and elongated swingman Emarson Que, who also had 15 points and nine reebies.

Quarter Scores (XS-SSHS): 20-14, 43-21, 64-40, 81-64.