From one gritty comeback to a convincing showing, Region XI's Ateneo de Davao authored a golden ending to a storybook run in the Palarong Pambansa.
From a cardiac finish to a commanding finale, Davao Region saved its best for last.
Region XI’s Ateneo de Davao punctuated a magical run with a commanding 67-51 victory over Western Visayas’ St. Robert’s International College, capturing the secondary boys’ basketball gold medal at the 2025 Palarong Pambansa on Friday, May 30, at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena.
What began as a tight contest gradually turned into a showcase of Davao dominance.
Leading 46-37 at the end of the third quarter, Ateneo pulled away early in the fourth behind a 9-2 surge to make it 55-39.
From there, the Region 11 bets never looked back.
Jhon Mark Deligrino later gave his squad its biggest lead at 17 points with a coast-to-coast layup with 3:45 seconds left in regulation, all but sealing Davao's first secondary boys’ basketball title in the post-pandemic era.
Ateneo de Davao rode the momentum of its nail-biting 66-65 semifinal win over Region III --- a game it won after rallying back from a double-digit deficit in the final frame --- en route to capping off a scintillating title run.
Western Visayas, which reached the final after stunning IV-A CALABARZON in an 80-73 comeback win, saw its own magical run come to an end.
[ALSO READ: Palarong Pambansa: Western Visayas stuns defending champ NCR to enter basketball semis]
The squad also knocked out defending champion National University-Nazareth School of NCR in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Central Luzon salvaged the bronze medal earlier in the day, besting Region IV-A , 75-64.