BACOLOD City – Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts clinched the crown in the 2nd Ben Lo Memorial Cup after a 77-68 victory over Xavier University recently at the Bacolod Tay Tung High School Po Hang Gym here.
Paul Barcelona had an all-around game of 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) as the Thunderbolts finished the tournament undefeated.
According to Paul’s father, Pete, his son was supposed to sat out the tournament after coming off a championship run in the UNBL 17-and-under 3rd Chairman’s Cup Negros, but has reconsidered his decision.
“Actually, Paul should have sat this one out because kagagaling niya lang sa UNBL tournament, but I asked him to reconsider playing in Ben Lo Cup,” Pete told Panay News.
“Boss Ben was my long-time manager during my playing days in Bacolod Tay Tung High School, it is just so fitting that, after 25 years, it was my son who is playing in honor of him,” he added.
Bacolod Tay Tung finished the elimination round undefeated, beating St. John Institute-Bacolod Baby Falcons, Trinity Christian School, Chiang Kai Shek College of Manila, Kong Hua School of Cagayan de Oro, and Xavier School of Manila.
In the semifinals round, the Thunderbolts prevailed over Chiang Kai Shek College, 88-68, while Xavier University reached the championship game with an 84-76 triumph over St. John’s Institute.
St. John’s Institute, on the other hand, salvaged a bronze medal finish after a 59-53 victory over Chiang Kai Shek college. Ryton Celis finished with a double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds in the win.
The 2nd Ben Lo Memorial Cup is in honor of the late sports patron Benjamin Lo. a member of the Bacolod Tay Tung High School Board of Trustees and the school’s former alumni president.
Lo is a former sports development chairman of BTTHS and established the BTTHS Sports Development Trust Fund, moreover he also initiated the construction of the BTTHS covered court./PN
