Cyrus Tabi of Quezon City and Joshua Saret of Solid San Juan-Big Chill were named World Balance Players of the Week in their respective divisions in the Metro League Open basketball tournament for the recent period October 7 to 13.
Tabi, last year’s Metro Basketball Tournament 24-and-under Most Valuable Player, starred in the Junior Capitals’ twin wins this past week over Marikina and Caloocan, to beat former PBA star Joseph Yeo of Manila for the World Balance North Division Player of the Week honors of the tournament organized by the Metro Manila Development Authority and supported by the Philippine Basketball Association.
Saret – who once recorded an 89 point-quadruple double while playing for JRU in the NCAA juniors tournament nine years ago in a game against Angeles University – on the other hand, denied Pateros’ Rickson Gerero a second straight World Balance South Division Player of the Week recognition, winning it this time after leading San Juan to two wins this past week against winless teams Marikina and Las Piñas. He helped stretch his team’s winning streak to three after a 0-2 start and grab solo second in the South division of this tourney, which has “mobile app ng bayan” Barangay 143 as presentor, Spalding as the official ball and Team Rebel Sports as official outfitter.
Games resume on Tuesday at the Hagonoy Sports Complex in Taguig, with Quezon City looking to make it five in a row against dangerous Manila in a much-awaited Philippine Capitals Clasico match-up in the 5:30 pm. The clash is the second game of a tripleheader, while Caloocan will try to bounce back from a loss to the Junior Capitals when it goes up against Las Piñas in the 4pm opening. Taguig then aims to make it two in a row as it hosts Marikina in the 7:00pm nightcap of this 10-team tournament, which also has Synergy 88, San Miguel Corp., World Balance, Frabelle Foods, Summit Mineral Water, Alco Plus, Gerry’s Grill, Excellent Noodles, glitter.ph, SM Supermalls, and Nature’s Spring as major sponsors.
Tabi, who is planning to make himself available for the upcoming PBA Draft this December, had 29 points on a sizzling 12 of 13 shooting from the field in the win over the Shoelanders last Thursday which he added with seven rebounds and seven assists. Three days later, he had 23 of his 25 points in the second half in a win over the Supremos including a lay-up that tied the score at 85-all with 1:54 left, a three-point play for an 88-86 lead with 1:23 remaining, and another two-pointer that put QC safely ahead, 92-88, with only five seconds left.
With Tabi at the helm, Quezon City is the only remaining unbeaten team in the tournament and sits comfortably atop the North divisions standings with its 5-0 slate.
Saret had 16 points, nine assists, three rebounds and a steal in the win against Marikina Tuesday last week before following it up with 26 points built around a 6-for-11 three-point shooting while adding four steals, two assists and a rebound in the win over the Home Defenders last Saturday which upped San Juan’s record to 3-2, just a half a game behind South leader Pateros’ 3-1.
