MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- With less than two minutes remaining, two three-pointers by Team Three guard Romeo Sira secured a 34-30 victory over Team One to take the Filipino American Basketball League championship May 19.
Finishing off the four-team regular season, the teams faced off for the final showdown at the Matthew C. Perry High School gym.
The action was fast, lighthearted and well-matched for both halfs, with great defense demonstrated by both sides.
"We kind of struggled for the first half," said Michael Roxas, Team Three coach. "But in the second half, our defense kicked in and we started to relax."
Roxas said that relaxation was key to their ultimate win.
"The players did great work," said Roxas. "They played honest defense and they played hard. After the first half, they adjusted. I told them to relax more, and they did. They just enjoyed the game and that's what helped us win."
Ken Bomongcag, Team Three point guard, said in addition to having fun, good teamwork secured the championship.
"The other team knew to shutdown the ball handlers, but they left everyone else open," Bomongcag said. "We played really good as a team together. There wasn't one person scoring all the points. Everyone was passing the ball around, making points together. We were feeding off each other."
Excellent defense by both teams made for a great game for everyone.
"Defense was key to the game," said Don Albia, Team One coach. "The team that had the best defense won."
Albia was proud of his team's effort, despite the loss.
"It's important to say they did not run away with the game," said Albia. "It was a very well-defended game by both teams."
According to Bomongcag, the championship wasn't all the Filipino American league was about.
"FilAm is also here to bring people together on base," said Bomongcag.
Albia agreed, adding, "We have young kids coming up here and we want to expose them to the game in a positive environment. That's part of what FilAm is about."