Nobody expected them to win.

All they wanted was to score at least one win in the tournament.

After going winless in the past two conferences, Kaya didn’t only win a game.

It went all the way to grab its first-ever title after outlasting in come-from-behind fashion the hard-fighting three-time champion  Bar21/Seafood Island, 93-84,  in Game 3 of the ABC-4Life Transfer Factor Cup in Ayala Northpoint Talisay Thursday last week.

“We are blessed and we give back all the glory to God,” said team captain Andrei Burbano.

Tournament Commissioner Popoy Jameo said it was apparent that the members of the winning team played with love of the game more than the prize as team camaraderie was evident in their matches – win or loss.

Co-MVPs Archie Piccio and Japeth Cua came through with clutch performances throughout the series as their consistent numbers earned them the distinction.

It was a tight first quarter as Bar 21/Seafood Island held on to a two-point lead, 23-21,  behind the Hojilla brothers as Dominic and Brod combined for 19 of the team’s first-period output despite a 15-point outburst by Kaya’s Archie Piccio.

The lead ballooned to as many as 12 points (40-28) for Bar 21 as Mark Antonio sliced his way to 14 second quarter points but Kaya responded to cut the lead back to eight points, 47-39, at the end of the first half.

A 20-point explosion by Japeth Cua in the 3rd quarter swung the favor and eventually the momentum to Kaya as they outscored their opponents 29-16 and led 68-63 going into the final 12 minutes of the season.

Kaya led by as many as 12 points early on but a late rally by Bar 21 cut the lead to just five points with 3:25 remaining.

In the ensuing possession, Kaya’s Piccio made a triple from the left corner to stretch the lead back to eight and provided some breathing room for his team.

Bar 21 made one last run in the final minute but Piccio once again saved the day for Kaya as he hit the dagger triple to seal the game.

Piccio led all scorers with 28 points while Cua and Schulze had 20 and 11 points ,respectively.

Brod Hojilla topscored for Bar 21 with 19 points even as Antonio and Abong contributed 16 and 15 points respectively. Dominic Hojilla and Juan Miguel Golez combined for another 24 points.*

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