The Smarts Sports Scribes won the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Cup after a dominant final victory over Capital1 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
What was supposed to be a fierce final duel in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Cup turned into a surprising mismatch.
Smart Sports put the clamps on the top-ranked Capital1 Monday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, taking the decisive 49-32 victory to win the PSA Cup Finals.
The Scribes, powered by Finals MVP Reuben Terrado of
Spin.ph, controlled the pace from the onset, turning the high-stakes duel into an absolute grind.
Terrado finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Cignal’s AJ Bolando helped anchor Smart’s title-winning effort with 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Julio Sampedro from the UAAP Varsity Channel likewise displayed strong defensive effort, adding eight rebounds and three steals to the Scribe’s cause.
Sunshine eluded the usually high-powered Solar Boys, with their 32 points the lowest in the tournament, marking an anticlimactic end to an otherwise strong campaign.
Signs of trouble showed up early for Capital1, with the team stuck at nine points for most of the first half as the Scribes slowly pulled away.
The final victory not only allowed Smart to take the title, but the Scribes also won the season-series against the Solar Boys, 2-1.
Christian Jacinto and John Bryan Ulanday led the way for Capital1 with 10 points apiece.
Strong Group gets ROY and breakthrough win for bronze
In the first game, Strong Group Athletics scored a breakthrough win, outlasting Say Chiz in overtime, 82-81, to take bronze.
One Sports’ Eugene Flores came through for the Press Row Bros, scoring all 10 of SGA’s points in extra time for the win.
The newly-awarded PSA Cup Rookie of the Year finished with a 30-piece, giving Strong Group the boost it needed to finally take a dub, after the team’s previous two losses came by a combined three points.
Strong Group actually appeared headed for a cruising victory, leading by as many as 17 points in the second half.
But the Smileys came roaring back in the fourth on the strength of Jeric Lopez, Cedelf Tupas, and season MVP Jonas Terrado of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Down one, Tupas hit a booming three for a 70-68 Smileys lead, their largest of the game.
Paul Lintag hit a mid-range jumper for an answer inside the final minute, then Flores hit a tough layup to make it 72-all with 12 seconds left.
Flores’ final shot in regulation was actually an and-one, but he missed the bonus. Still, he more than made up for it in OT for Strong Group.
In the pre-game ceremony attended by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Dy, the Mythical Five were recognized, featuring MVP Jonas Terrado, Jeric Lopez, AJ Bolando, Aldo Aviñante, and Christian Jacinto.
Other individual awardees included Capital1’s Delfin Dioquino as Defensive Player, Smart’s Nelson Beltran as best senior player, and Reuben Terrado as winner of the inaugural Joe Antonio Sportsmanship award.