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First-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Champions Perpetual Junior Altas. Handout photo.

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<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);min-height:13.8px"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1729413015415IMG_5369.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="First-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Champions Perpetual Junior Altas. Handout photo."/>First-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Champions Perpetual Junior Altas. Handout photo.</div>MANILA — University of Perpetual Help System DALTA defied the odds to be crowned as the first-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Champions.The Junior Altas completed a come-from-behind 96-93 victory against National University-Nazareth School during their winner-take-all Finals clash on Saturday at the MGC New Life Christian Academy Gym in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, in a game that was as good as advertised -- with Perpetual capping a perfect 10-game sweep of the inaugural tournament.Jericho Cristino&#x27;s star shone the brightest in the NCAA vs. UAAP affair, with the young forward making a name for himself in the most important game of the tourney.&quot;Napakasaya po namin na nakuha po namin yung gusto namin,” said the 19-year-old forward from Leyte who posted 21 points (5/12 3pts) and a steal against the Collins Akowe-led Bullpups frontline en route to being hailed as the NGBL&#x27;s first-ever Finals MVP. <div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);min-height:13.8px"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1729413089438IMG_5373.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="NGBL Season 1 Finals MVP Jericho Cristino of the Perpetual Junior Altas. Handout Photo."/>NGBL Season 1 Finals MVP Jericho Cristino of the Perpetual Junior Altas. Handout Photo.</div>&quot;Dahil po &#x27;to sa pinaghirapan at mga sakripisyo namin, pero &#x27;di ko naman po inasahan na ako yung magiging Finals MVP. &#x27;Di ko naman po iniisip yung mga score ko, talagang ginawa ko lang po yung best ko para makatulong sa team,&quot; he added of his performance - his best game in the tournament - in the triumph that allowed them to also bring home the Php 300,000 cash prize. Down 69-55 with only 4:39 left in the third quarter following a basket by Sean Solomon, the Las Piñas-based cagers went back to form and retaliated with a 19-to-5 charge after Cristino, JD Pagulayan, Jim Corpuz, and Lebron Jhames Daep, took turns in hitting deuces and triples to eventually tie the game at 74 before the payoff period opened. &quot;Nung down na kami ng 14, sabi ko sa kanila na let&#x27;s just cut this down to five before the end of the third,&quot; said Perpetual head coach Joph Cleopas, who was also named as the Best Coach of the NGBL.&quot;Pero tinabla pa nila eh. Kaya nung tied na, sabi ko sa kanila: &#x27;Ito na yung magiging biggest what if niyo &#x27;pag &#x27;di niyo &#x27;to kinuha.&#x27; Kaya ang nangyari, lahat ng bola, possession by possession na kami. Sinabi ko sa kanila: &#x27;Pag andyan na yung bola sa harap niyo, i-pressure niyo na yan.&#x27; Tapos nakuha na talaga lahat namin, rebounds, naka-depensa kami, naka-stop kami, at naka takbo na kami.&#x27; Kaya ayun, Praise God na nakalamang na kami.&quot;Both squads went on to exchange hits in the fourth quarter, with Akowe and Macmac Alfanta doing the most damage for NU-Nazareth, while Cristino was joined by Season MVP Jan Roluna and Icee Calangan to do the heavy lifting for UPHSD, even as the Bullpups regained their composure and put up a gallant last stand in the endgame.The 6-foot-10 Akowe, who was named as the Best Foreign Student-Athlete, imposed his way into the defenders of Perpetual, and his basket at the 1:31 mark off a miss by JM Palanca gave his team a vital 93-92 advantage.However, Calangan would not let the Junior Altas&#x27; erstwhile 9-0 record get blemished with the championship on the line.The 5-foot-10, 19-year-old spitfire guard drained a crucial three-pointer with only 1:28 left in the game off an assist by Daep, and he was also fouled by Roje Matias in doing so. Calangan completed the four-point play for a 96-93 lead, and Perpetual&#x27;s defense worked from that point on. Matias looked to tie the game at the 55-second mark, while Alfanta had another chance to send the game to overtime with a last-second shot, but both tries of National U guards missed the bottom of the net. The latter&#x27;s failed attempt was even ruled as a two as his foot was on the line. These, in turn, resulted in the Kevin De Castro-mentored team absorbing their second defeat against Perpetual.The Bullpups both opened and closed out their NGBL campaign with losses against the same squad, their only two defeats in the tournament. They finished with an 8-2 overall record.On the other hand, Cleopas&#x27; troops went a perfect 10-0 in the NGBL starting from the Group Stage, the Quarterfinals, the Semifinals, and the Finals.&quot;Sobrang blessed ko lang. Grabe eh, 10 pala yung games na dinaanan namin. Sobrang speechless ako ngayon, and deserve &#x27;to ng mga bata talaga,&quot; said Coach Joph.<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1729413139739IMG_5370.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="NGBL Best Coach awardee Joph Cleopas of the Perpetual Junior Altas. Photo handout."/>NGBL Best Coach awardee Joph Cleopas of the Perpetual Junior Altas. Photo handout.</div>&quot;Nire-recall ko lang din yung practice namin nung Friday. Sabi ko sa kanila, ipanalo namin muna yung practice, then the game will be just the celebration. The harder you work, the luckier you get, kaya we&#x27;re blessed and we&#x27;re lucky today.&quot; &quot;Sobrang priceless din ng pag sali namin sa NGBL. Talagang priceless ‘to, kaya we will always cherish this,&quot; added Cleopas, who finally won his first-ever major championship as a head tactician.Aside from Cristino, also helping the Altas clinch the Under-19 title were the Season MVP Roluna who had 16 points, four assists, and three steals, Corpuz who had 14 markers, Calangan who paced his team with 13 points (3/3 3pts), nine assists, and two rebounds, and Pagulayan who finished with 10.The Junior Altas also managed to get the win despite having a huge disadvantage in the rebounding department, 59-25. However, it was indeed on the defensive end that they put all of their efforts into, with Perpetual getting 12 steals while also forcing the Bullpups to commit 26 costly turnovers. Meanwhile, Alfanta had a game-high 23 points for the Bullpups, while Akowe followed with a 21-point, 20-rebound monster game. <div>The Scores:</div>Perpetual 96 — Cristino 21, Roluna 16, Corpuz 14, Callangan 13, Pagulayan 10, Daep 9, Baldoria 7, Tabbuan 5, Nitura 1, Rosales 0, Zanoria 0, Velasquez 0, Borja 0.NU-Nazareth 93 — Alfanta 23, Akowe 21, Cartel 13, Natinga 9, Palanca 9, Locsin 8, Solomon 5, Matias 3, Figueroa 2, Pillado 0, Napa 0, Usop 0.Quarterscores: 22-24, 48-55, 74-74, 96-93.<div></div>

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA defied the odds to be crowned as the first-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Champions.

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA defied the odds to be crowned as the first-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Champions.

Cristino the star as Perpetual stuns NU-Nazareth to clinch inaugural NGBL championship

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Cristino the star as Perpetual stuns NU-Nazareth to clinch inaugural NGBL championship

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Published Oct 20, 2024 05:22 PM PHT

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Updated Oct 20, 2024 05:25 PM PHT

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