Iguel takes Finals MVP

 A visibly annoyed Pete Iguel left the third quarter of the DFS-PSS title game after sustaining a cut above his right eyebrow. He then returned in the fourth and finished the game with a smile on his face, as DFS won the championship and he took the Finals MVP award.

Iguel fired a game-high 28 points in the winner-take-all finals in the 3rd Annual Shirley’s Coffee Shop Invitational Basketball League last Sunday night at the Gillette Multipurpose Gymnasium, lifting DFS to a convincing 91-63 win.

The DFS gunner could have scored more if he did not report back to the bench in the last 8:32 of the third period to get first aid for his cut. Iguel got the cut after colliding against PSS/McGraw-Hill’s Dave Sablan who was going for a fastbreak play, was fouled on his way for a layup, and his elbow hit the DFS guard on his way down.

Iguel left the third period with 22 points and played anew in the fourth, adding six more points to still top-score for DFS. He received the Final MVP trophy from Shirley’s league coordinator Boy Lingcaso.

Sablan lost the Finals MVP race, but notched the regular season MVP award and the scoring champion trophy. He averaged 25.5 points in nine games, beating Fiesta’ s Elmer Esdrelon (25.4).

Esdrelon did not go home empty handed during the brief awards ceremony, as he clinched the best in three points award and also made it to the Mythical Five. The Fiesta guard converted 44 triples, seven more than the 37 of Pacific Islands Club/NVM’s James Abuy.

Joining Esdrelon in the Mythical Team were DFS’ Jack Lizama, Mobil’s Jun Estolas, Shirley’s Kae Bernardo, and Sablan.

Other individual awardees this season were Wushin Express’ Ferdie Tobias (best in assists), GPPC’s Randy Mungcal (steals), Shirley’s J.R. Barrios (free throws) and Bernardo (rebounds), PIC’ Ponce Rasa (blocks), and DFS’ Gabriel White (best coach).

Tobias recorded 37 assists in eight games and averaged five per match; Mungcal posted 23 steals in seven games; Barrios went 17-for-25 from the foul line; Bernardo collared 61 rebounds; and Rasa swatted away 11 shots to beat the 10 of Fiesta’s Jawn Joyner. White was named best coach for leading DFS to a 6-2 record in the regular season and a title win over PSS, while GPPC received the team sportsmanship trophy.