Xavier School is aiming to finish the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association season undefeated against their old rival, Saint Jude.
Brent Tiu, determined not to allow any setbacks in their pursuit of the title, led Xavier to an 11-0 record with a hard-fought 64-57 comeback win against Saint Stephen’s High School, Saturday at Uno High School Gym.
Later in the day, Saint Jude Catholic School, seeded second, defeated Pace Academy 80-72, setting up a Finals showdown in the tournament which is backed by NexGen Group of Companies, Milk Magic, Spalding, and Vital Purified Drinking Water.
The best-of-three Finals begin on Thursday at the same Manila venue.
Tiu’s impressive performance included 22 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, and six steals. Xavier trailed 53-45 against SSHS before Tiu’s relentless effort sparked a 13-0 run that coincided with Josh Cedric Ong and Bryle Teng fouling out, ultimately sealing the victory for Xavier.
Andre Tan contributed 13 points, and Hugo Ramirez scored nine points, including three triples, to help Xavier in their victory.
SSHS’s Sam Ng scored 24 points, including six three-pointers, and Bryle Teng added 12 points.
Kobe Chong played a crucial role for Saint Jude, scoring six of their final eight points to secure the win. Chong also grabbed 11 rebounds, while Ethan Kaw matched his 24 points.
Keith Joshua Ngu was a surprise contributor with 11 points, and Enrico Feliciano also scored 11 points for Saint Jude.
For Pace Academy, Axell Cue led the team with 19 points, followed by Khendryle Chua with 17 points and 12 rebounds, Alcindor Yap with 16 points, and Kleivz Fong, who almost had a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
