Staring at a 15-point deficit heading into the final quarter against a team with a winning tradition, unheralded Silay Institute's bid for a first-ever NOPSSCEA high school basketball crown looked doomed.

But a band of heroes emerged one after the other to fuel SI to an improbable 84-76 overtime victory over West Negros College at the WNC Gym in Bacolod City Saturday.

"This win was all about heart," said SI's rookie coach Ryan Nabor, whose squad was cheered on by SI students wearing blue and yellow shirts, complemented by a boisterous drum-beating gallery. "We really wanted to win this for the school. This is a big achievement for us," he added.

While WNC ran out of options following the disqualification of its starters on fouls, SI, which finished the tournament undefeated, came out with renewed vigor in the final three minutes of regulation and the extra session as Kervie Andrada, Michael Doromal and Ray John Honra joined hands to seal the win.

Andrada scored five of his 24 points in overtime, while Doromal who posed all sorts of match-up problems, after WNC's Marvin Torre fouled out, added 21 markers.

Despite the fouling out of leading scorer Kevin Cepriano and Rodolfo Salga, the Baby Mustangs gamely fought and still had a solid chance when Nico Paulo Javelona made two free throws on an unsportsmanlike foul on Clement Mandin to tie it up at 71 with more than two minutes left. That proved to be WNC's last stand as Honra completed a three-point play and made to free throws to sew up the win.

West Negros, also undefeated heading into the finals, seemed headed to streamroll past Silay, after closing the third period with a 19-2 run sparked by Javelona, Cepriano and Salga that turned a 38-40 deficit to a 57-42 advantage.

Andrada opened the final period with a couple of baskets and Doromal imposed his will inside the paint to stay within striking distance, 57-50.

The fouling out of Torre and Salga signaled SI's charge as the Silay-based squad held West Negros scoreless in the final 3:28 of regulation.

Mandin hit five straight points, including a triple before Jasper Pacino and John Fronda nailed two free throws each inside the last 20 seconds to force overtime.

Earlier, Mansilingan Christian Academy relegated 2006 champion University of St. La Salle-Integrated School to fourth place with an 80-67 victory. *CPT

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