Sports: Thunder Captures BACGEBA Title

Team Thunder captures the 4th Conference title of the Bacolod City Government Employees Basketball Association (BACGEBA) tournament by beating Team Suns with a score of 68-63.

TEAM THUNDER. (from left) John Baltazar, Edson Parcon, Erman Aguirre, Daniel Evidente, Wesley Chavoso, Allan Dela Vega, Dagul Flores, Ramon Delos Reyes, Michael Malapitan, Keith Ramos, and Martin Pinaga, with coach Sammy Pineda at the center.*

Led by the conference MVP, Rogelio "Dagul" Flores, the Thunder won game 3 of the best of three series in a thriller of a game at the BAY Center last Thursday, November 3, 2011. Team Suns won game 1 of the series and the Thunder got back at the Suns in game 2, coming from a 13-point half time deficit to arrange a do-or-die deciding game 3.

BACGEBA is a regular basketball tournament among the permanent employees of the city government of Bacolod. It is now composed of eight (8) teams from the original six (6) teams during its inaugural league last year. Each team has twelve (12) players each.

The league calls for a "drafting" of players where the lowest ranking team gets to pick first from among the pool of players. Game format is patterned after the "passarel" system, wherein all players get to have playing time each game.

For this 4th conference, the Thunder had a near sweep record after three rounds of games, with a standing of 19-2, win-loss record during the elimination round.

Flores, the hands-down MVP, led the Thunder with 18, followed by Michael Malapitan with 12, Keith Ramos, 11, and John Baltazar, 10.

Dennis Tenorio, led the Suns with 20, followed by Rodolfo Yanson, 11 and Dennis Ramos with 10.

Other members of the Team Thunder are: Erman Aguirre, Daniel Evidente, Edson Parcon, Martin Pinaga, Ramon De los Reyes, Allan Dela Vega, and Wesley Chavoso.*