THE Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) Escandor Cup Mindanao Championship Game on April 30, 2023, saw two collegiate basketball powerhouses, the JMCFI Kings and Liceo de Cagayan Titans, go head-to-head in a thrilling matchup at the Almendras Gym in Davao City.
The JMCFI Kings dominate the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) Escandor Cup Mindanao Championship game against the Liceo de Cagayan Titans with a final score of 70-63.
This secures their spot in the Vis-Min league wherein the Kings will be competing against the champion from Visayas.
The game started with a close first quarter, with the Liceo de Cagayan Titans taking a slim 18-17 lead.
Despite it being the first quarter, both teams were playing hard, and the match was already intense.
The second quarter saw the JMC Kings take the lead, with a score of 33-29 in their favor. However, both teams were committing errors and turnovers.
In the third quarter, a personal foul by JMCFI’s Joshua Morado gave the Liceo de Cagayan Titans’ Earl Laniton 2 free throws.
The Kings continued to maintain their lead, with a score of 47-39.
Although the Titans tried to get close to the Kings, Jayboy Bularon of the JMC Kings made a three-point shot, increasing their lead to nine points.
The fourth quarter saw the Kings pull ahead even further, with their biggest lead of the game being 13 points, 60-47 and 65-52. In the end, the JMCFI Kings held on to their lead, winning the game with a final score of 70-63.
Meanwhile, the coach of the Liceo de Cagayan Titans and the organizers of the PCCL Escandor Cup commend the JMCFI Kings for their teamwork and preparation.
“JMC has been here for a long time. Almost all of their players are veterans. We can see in the way they played that they have a strong teamwork. They trust each other, they trust the system. That’s why they won against us.”
“JMC has better execution, and they are more prepared than us, that’s why they got a higher score that made them win,” said James Clifford Racines, Coach, Liceo Titans.
“They’ve been together for quite some time. I’ve seen them play and because of them playing together, they also have cohesiveness. It really doesn’t matter that we have so many plays as long as cohesive ang mga player, they cooperate. Okay na okay yan,” said Ronel Leuterio, Organizer, PCCL – Escandor Cup 2023.
The Kings are very thankful to the Founding President of JMCFI, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy for his unwavering support to the team.
“Thank you very much for the support. Thank you to Pastor Apollo. If not for you, we would not be able to do this. We cannot win if not for your support,” said Braebon Thompson, Player, JMC Kings.
“Pastor, we won as champions again. Thank you for the support. The players are more inspired because of your unwavering support, 100% support for the varsity team. Thank you Pastor, and to the JMC community, especially Ma’am Rose, thank you very much,” said Flordelito Cagampang, Coach, JMC Kings.
To celebrate their win, Pastor Apollo treated the Kings along with the staff and supporters to an all-you-can-eat dinner at Vikings after the game.
With this win, the JMCFI Kings have secured their third consecutive championship win in the PCCL. The 2023 PCCL has concluded, and the Kings continue to reign supreme.
The Vis-Min finals are set to begin on May 2, and fans are eagerly anticipating the Kings’ performance in the upcoming games.
