MEMBERS of the Batang Gilas national under-16 basketball are expected to make their presence felt in the 2018 Palarong Pambansa set April 15 to 21 at the Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur.
Team members Terrence Fortea and Joshua Lazaro will be playing for separate teams when the secondary basketball action starts on Monday.
The National Capital Region squad, the defending champion, will field in Fortea in an effort to retain the crown it won last year.
NCR pulled off an 75-48 smothering of host Western Visayas entry, Sta. Clarita International School of Iloilo when it was held in Antique.
They will be coached again by Goldwin Monteverde, who is now National University’s head coach in the junior division of the UAAP.
On the other hand, Lazaro, who is playing for the San Beda University Red Cubs, will among the new faces that will grace Team Calabarzon, which missed the finals last year.
In last year’s finals, NCR finished its stint with a seven-game sweep.
NCR’s efforts in secondary basketball allowed it to cap its campaign with an overall medal haul of 98 golds, 66 silvers and 45 silvers.
Region IV-A (Southern Tagalog) was second overall with their 47-57-57 gold-silver-bronze haul, with Region VI (Western Visayas) in third (38-29-40).
NCR got most of its medals in the secondary division with a 66-45-26 tally. Peter Atencio
