Wildcats sink Navigators, snatches 9th PCCL Mindanao crown

The Holy Trinity College Wildcats of General Santos City is the 2020 PCCL Mindanao champion.

DAVAO CITY---The Holy Trinity College Wildcats of General Santos City relied on their poise and experience down the stretch to sink the Mats College of Technology Navigators, a school based here 85-82 and get their ninth straight Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) Mindanao crown at the Davao City Recreation Center (DCRC) here Wednesday night.
Down by one 83-82 with only seven seconds remaining in the game clock in the fourth quarter, Wildcats veteran guard Louie Omadle hit a dagger three at the top of the key to put the lead back to his team.
In the ensuing play, the Navigators failed to score allowing the visiting team from the country's tuna capital to escaped with a win and another championship.
The defending champion Wildcats started strong in the game as they score the first five points in the game courtesy of center Joewish Gracia via a three pointer and a lay-up.
The Navigators who is playing its first PCCL championship game started slow as they fire blanks and committed a lot of errors in the first quarter.
However, in the last minutes of the first quarter the Navigators started to find their rhythm and ended the quarter facing only a four point deficit 13-17.

The 2020 PCCL Mindanao second placer Mats College of Technology Navigators of Davao City.


In the second quarter, the Navigators started strong behind the strong plays of Klent Castromayor and Renato Salaga and took over the lead at the end of the first half 44-41.
In the third quarter, Castromayor who finished with 19 points in the game continued his outside bombs and towed his team to a commanding 68-59 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Despite having the momentum on their side, the Navigators failed to score in the early minutes of the last canto allowing the Wildcats to catch up and eventually won the game.
Omadle the leading scorer of the Wildcats in the three-day tournament finished the game with 13 points.
Despite their defeat, Navigators coach Thommy Collados is still happy with their performance.
Meanwhile, the Holy Cross of Davao College Crusaders finished the tournament in the third place after they beat the Agro Industrial Foundation College of the Philippines Sailors in their battle for third game 71-64.
Crusaders peppery guard Victor Marqauez scored 14 points for his team in their victory.
Sailors versatile bigman Redyn Arellano scored 20 points for his team in a losing cause.
The top three winners of the PCCL Mindanao finals will represent Mindanao in the PCCL Visayas-Mindanao Finals at the same venue on February 17-20.
The winning team coming out of the PCCL Visayas-Mindanao finals will represent the regions in the PCCL National Finals to be held here this year.
The PCCL National Finals are expected to be participated in by some of the top schools in the Philippines.