Zamboanga Valientes picked up back-to-back victories at the 3rd Gov. Ann K. Hofer Open Invitational Basketball Tournament recently at the Cultural & Sports Center in Sibugay.
Coming off a 95-91 triumph over College of St. Benilde this past Monday, the Zamboanga Valientes drew crucial contributions from Mike Tolomia, Vic Manuel, and Malick Diouf down the stretch to fend off De La Salle University, 72-68, for a 2-0 start in the pocket tourney.
“First and foremost, I’m very happy for the entire team. Everyone worked hard for this win. I especially want to give credit to our veteran players, Vic Manuel, and our import, Malick Diouf, who played exceptional defense in the crucial final seconds,” said head coach Bobidick Delos Santos.
Down by six points with two minutes left, Manuel showcased his pedigree, drilling a huge triple and sinking a floater in under 25 seconds to cut the deficit down to one, 67-68, with 1:38 remaining.
On the next play, Manuel stripped Jacob Cortez and found Tolomia for an easy fastbreak layup, giving the home squad a 69-68 edge with 1:15 left.
Malick Diouf, who brought energy off the bench throughout the contest, stepped up defensively—blocking Luis Pablo and Mike Phillips on back-to-back possessions. He then secured a crucial offensive rebound off a Manuel miss and converted a putback to extend the lead to 71-68.
The Green Archers had a chance to force overtime, but JC Macalalag missed a wide-open triple from the left corner. Manuel then split his free throws with 7.5 seconds left to seal the win as the Zamboanga Valientes finished the game on a blistering 10-0 run.
Manuel poured 10 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, while Diouf and Prince Caperal added 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the Zamboanga Valientes’ second-straight win.
Tolomia and Italian-Maltese center Sam Deguara each contributed seven markers, while Kyt Jimenez and Carl Bryan Cruz had five points apiece.
“This is a proud moment, a win we dedicate to Zamboanga City. Our team, composed of experienced professionals, showed their class and determination against two strong collegiate programs,” said Zamboanga Valientes team owner Junnie Navarro.
“These wins reflect the hard work we’ve put in to elevate Zamboanga basketball, and we will continue pushing forward. All glory to God! Arriba Zamboanga! Viva Valientes!”
The Zamboanga Valientes will take on Letran Asenso Bancoro this Wednesday, before facing Basilan Starhorse on Thursday.
Last Monday, the Zamboanga Valientes, which is backed by Grumpy Joe’s Benedict Fernandez, PeekUp’s Dave Almarinez, Cocogen, Midas, FGT Trading, Crewe Sharp’s Trevor Crewe, ZC Kings Manpower, and Nemesis Security Agency, escaped the Blazers to open its campaign with a bang.
The former Asian Tournament Grand Finals champion, led by Zamboangueños Tolomia and Rudy Lingganay, maintained its composure and withstood a late rally from Benilde to secure its first win of the tournament.
Down by 20 points inside the last six minutes of the contest, the Blazers mounted a 22-6 rally to finish the game but the Zamboanga Valientes did just enough to hold off the collegiate squad and secure the victory.
