Sinag Liga Asya finale: Moral, Phenom shine

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The inaugural Sinag Liga Asya (SLA) Junior World Showcase concluded in memorable fashion as some of the country’s brightest young basketball stars lived up to the hype, capturing titles before a packed crowd at the Cebu Coliseum on Sunday, July 5.

Leading the way was crowd favorite Kenji Yob “Chog” Moral, who powered the star-studded JProject Ballers to the 19-under championship with a commanding 96-72 victory over Phenom Parola-Panoan. The Cebu Coliseum erupted throughout the game as fans repeatedly chanted Moral’s name.

In the 23-under division, former Gilas Youth standout Santi Romero helped Phenom edge the hometown University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, 66-62, in a hard-fought championship clash.

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Moral answered the challenge after teammate Dairick Duterte, the reigning Palarong Pambansa gold medalist who erupted for 29 points in the semifinals against Phenom Parola, missed the championship game.

The young standout responded with an all-around performance, finishing with seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals while dazzling the crowd with several highlight-reel plays.

“Syempre masaya, dahil grabe magmahal ang mga taga-Cebu,” said Moral, who also competed in Cebu during the 2024 Palarong Pambansa.

(Of course I am happy because the Cebuanos love very well.)

“Hindi ko inexpect na ganito ka grabe yung support ng mga taga-Cebu sa akin, kaya sobrang saya ko.”

(I did not expect this much support from Cebuanos for me so I am overjoyed.)

Johari Domingo added 13 points, while Ren Illescas chipped in 12. University of the Visayas Green Lancers standout Alexander Ejurango contributed 10 points as JProject Ballers pulled away after a tightly contested first half.

JProject gradually created separation in the third quarter behind Domingo and Illescas, taking a 72-58 advantage into the fourth before stretching the lead to as many as 22 points.

John Glenn Maningo paced Phenom Parola with 18 points, while Lucky Troy Gatoria added 10.

Last-minute team delivers

In the 23-under championship, Phenom overcame a determined UC squad in front of the Webmasters’ home crowd. The title game lived up to expectations, featuring a physical, back-and-forth battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer.

Centro Escolar University standout Mark Jade Sarza spearheaded Phenom with a dominant double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds, along with two assists and a steal. Peter Rosillo and Bonel Sacro each scored 14 points.

For UC, Ricfer Sordilla poured in 19 points, while Maverick Eligoyo added 18 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double.

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Phenom appeared headed for a comfortable victory after building an 11-point lead, 62-51, in the fourth quarter. However, UC tightened its defense and mounted a late rally, creating several opportunities to erase the deficit. The Webmasters forced key stops in the closing minutes, but missed crucial shots down the stretch as time ultimately ran out.

The victory capped an impressive run for Phenom, whose roster was assembled barely a week before the tournament.

“Actually, bale ang team namo is Phenom Management. Gikan sa Manila ang players, gi-compile lang namo ang team, pero very challenging kay karon pa mi nagkita-kita. Kausa ra mi naka-practice, so luckily naningkamot ang mga players. So, very thankful ko sa mga players,” said head coach Jess Evangelio.

(Our team is Phenom Management. The players comes from Manila. We just gathered the team but it has been challenging because we just met. We practiced only once but fortunately the players have done their best.)

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