J Project, Alpha 7 stay unbeaten in SLA Jr. Showcase

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The star-studded J Project Boomers and Cebu’s own Alpha 7 Family posted contrasting victories to remain unbeaten heading into the knockout stage of the ongoing Sinag Liga Asya (SLA) Junior World Showcase on Friday, July 3, at separate venues across Cebu City.

Bannered by two of the country’s brightest young basketball stars, Gilas Youth standout Chog Moral and Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Dairick Duterte, the J Project Boomers stretched their unbeaten run to 4-0 in the 19-under division to secure a berth in the knockout stage.

The Boomers opened the day with a convincing 85-63 rout of Ympact Ballers at the packed Cebu City Sports Institute in Barangay Sawang Calero before capping their campaign with another dominant performance, a 70-38 victory over Tumakbo South California-USA at the Magnum Sports Complex in Barangay Apas.

Against Ympact Ballers, Duterte, the big man who helped Region IV-A capture the Palarong Pambansa gold medal in Agusan del Sur, poured in a game-high 22 points, along with four rebounds and one assist. Moral, who played just 15 minutes, finished with two points, four assists, and two steals.

Johari Domingo provided ample support with 15 points, five assists, five steals, and three rebounds, while Ren Andrei Llescas chipped in 11 points.

Miguel John Narca led Ympact Ballers with 19 points, while Uno Isaiah Pineda added 14.

J Project led by as many as 25 points, 85-60, before cruising to the 85-63 victory.

In their second game, Moral paced the Boomers with 12 points, four steals, three assists, and three rebounds. Llescas matched him with 12 points while adding five rebounds and four steals. Clintone Pico contributed 10 points, while Duterte finished with eight.

Jacob Ventura scored 11 points for Tumakbo South California-USA.

Tangkay saves Alpha 7

Meanwhile, Alpha 7 Family improved to 3-0 after escaping with a thrilling 55-52 victory over New York Ascend in the 23-under division at the University of San Carlos Main Campus Gymnasium.

The win kept the University of San Carlos Warriors-backed squad unbeaten, while New York Ascend slipped to 1-2.

Despite flirting with its first loss, Alpha 7, coached by Paul Joven, found an opening in the closing seconds and capitalized to complete the dramatic comeback.

The game was tightly contested throughout, featuring 15 lead changes and four ties as neither team managed to pull away.

New York Ascend looked poised to steal the win after taking a 52-50 lead with just 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

However, Jhournel Tangkay delivered in the clutch, draining a go-ahead three-pointer with 16.4 seconds left to put Alpha 7 ahead, 53-52.

New York Ascend then committed costly turnovers on consecutive possessions, allowing Alpha 7 to seal the victory from the free-throw line.

Tangkay finished with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals to lead Alpha 7. James Tawacal added 13 points, while Aljen Kaw chipped in 11.

Peter Osang paced New York Ascend with a game-high 22 points, while Toby Pascual contributed 13.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.