By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The National University (NU)-Nazareth School reigned supreme during the recently concluded SMART-National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Division I finals last March 19, 2023, held at the Mall of Asia Arena.
NU-NS overcame the tough challenge from the towering lineup of the FilNation Select-USA team, 75-64, to erase a heartbreaking UAAP Season 85 boys’ basketball tournament run after getting dethroned.
Reinhard Jumamoy picked up where he left off from the UAAP and dominated the grand finals game after stuffing the stat sheets with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and five steals.
The all-around NU-NS skipper woke up his teammates after a grueling tight battle in the first three quarters when he did the scrappy work while scoring at the other end to enter the final frame with boosting confidence.
“We’re blessed because somehow, we have a player like Reinhard who can lead the team. We went through defeats in the UAAP, we got one here in the NBTC and hopefully, he brings it to college,” said head coach Kevin de Castro after the game.
The hardworking NU-NS superstar sparked their fourth-quarter rally after grabbing several offensive rebounds which resulted in points.
When NU-NS needed buckets down the stretch, RJ Colonia answered the call that extended their lead to four points, 67-63, with only three minutes remaining in the game.
Aside from their clutch shooting in the crucial last three minutes, NU-NS also played disciplined defense that limited FilNation’s scoring to just a point until the buzzer sounded.
Colonia top-scored for the NU-NS team with a 23-point closeout performance while also grabbing 10 rebounds.
With the huge victory, the NU-NS high school hoops team just collected its fourth overall NBTC championship title.
