Long wait ends for Finance/Shipping

The top teams and players of the 7th Annual Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Inter-Departmental Basketball League were feted during the competition’s awards banquet last July 24.

Finance/Shipping players were handed their championship trophy and individual medals after outlasting Casino Titans in a best-of-three series that went the distance and concluded moments before the awards ceremony.

The team rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half of Game 3 to nip Casino Titans, 102-100.

Tinian Casino actually drew first blood in the race-to-two final series by beating Finance/Shipping, 91-71, in Game 1. Finance/Shipping, however, took Game 2 with a 75-63 win to force the third and deciding match.

It was Finance/Shipping’s first championship in eight years.

Also getting trophies from organizers of the 7th Annual Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino Inter-Departmental Basketball League were runner-up Casino Titans, third place F&B Service, and fourth place F&B Chefs.

Finance/Shipping center Michael Torregosa was also adjudged MVP of the 2008 season. He was a pillar of strength all throughout the season for the 2008 champions and punctuated his MVP performance by scoring 34 points as Finance/Shipping held on to the series-clinching win in Game 3.

Torregosa was joined in the Mythical Five by F&B Service teammates Noel Sabordo and Charlie Fernandez, Leo Pascua of Security Department, and Casino Titan’s 6’3” center Ringo Reyes.

Reyes incidentally also ran away with the 2008 Rookie of the Year plum. Teammate Elias Camero Jr., meanwhile, was named the Most Improved Player of the 2008 season.

Ramirez paced Casino Titans in their Game 3 loss with 28 markers, while Reyes muscled his way for 27 points.

Other individual awards had Rooms’ sultan of swipe Gabby Cajayon take home the Best in Steals plum, Jerry Ventulan of TAGA/Housing Department win the Defensive Player award, and Pascua named as the 3-point King.

Aside from being hailed the MVP, Torregosa also won the sportsmanship award for players, which only befits his “Cool Guy” moniker. For the sportsmanship award for team, Security Department got the nod.

Security Department’s Johnny Ancheta, Nino Neypes, Jesus Sabugo, and Keith Canalita, meanwhile, were also awarded their hardware for topping the side event 3-on-3 tournament.