THE DENR Warriors cemented its place in history as they were hailed as the first rookie team to win a championship at the UNTV Cup League of Public Servants, which started in 2013. The Warriors showed their prowess on both ends of the court as they crushed the possible back-to-back championship run of the defending champion, AFP Cavaliers, 99-91, during the Game 2 of the best of 3 final series on March 9, 2020 held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It was a well-balanced scoring game for the Warriors as three (3) of their starters scored in double figures headed by the Finals MVP, Ed Rivera (24), Ralph Lansang (22), and Ryan Abanes (20). Archie Gamboa, who came off the bench, contributed 11 points. Paul Parreno, a native of Iloilo City, also provided the much needed spark both on offense and defense.
The game was dominated by the Warriors as they ended the first half by 15 points, 49-34. The Cavaliers made a comeback, anchored on the treys of ex-pro baller, Boyet Bautista, cutting the lead to 6 points at the end of the third quarter, 73-67. However, the rookie team showed composure, not allowing the Cavaliers to inch any closer and eventually marched its way to the championship.
The DENR Environmental Warriors bagged home the P4 million tax-free tournament prize for their chosen beneficiary, the Environmental Heroes Foundation, Inc. The UNTV Cup, league of public servants, is a charity basketball league composed of teams from different government agencies sponsored by UNTV headed by Dr. Daniel S. Razon./PN
