Valientes exit Dubai tilt with pride, shock defending champs

The lone Philippine representative in the tournamant refused to roll over, utilizing a balanced attack anchored by Terrence Romeo, Bryan Manuel and 7-foot-6 import Sam Deguara to dismantle the Lebanese powerhouse.

MANILA, Philippines — Defying expectations in their final game, the MLV-Zamboanga Valientes delivered a stunning 83-72 upset over defending champions Sports Club-Beirut at the 35th Dubai International Basketball Invitational.

Despite entering the game with an 0-3 record and no chance of advancing, the lone Philippine representative played with pride. They refused to roll over, utilizing a balanced attack anchored by Terrence Romeo, Bryan Manuel and 7-foot-6 import Sam Deguara to dismantle the Lebanese powerhouse.

The Turning Point After Sports Club-Beirut mounted a run to lead 40-33 in the second quarter, the Valientes responded with composure — a quality missing in their previous outings. Relying on the steady play of their backcourt and the sheer size of Deguara and Greg Slaughter, Zamboanga closed the half strong, retaking the lead at 41-40.

The Filipinos broke the game open in the third quarter. Establishing their biggest lead of the tournament at 61-49, they never looked back, frustrating every rally attempted by Beirut imports Albert English and La Traviyon Jackson.

Dominance on the Boards The key to victory was a massive disparity in rebounding. Zamboanga crushed Beirut on the boards, 56-29, a feat they had failed to achieve against previous opponents from Tunisia, Syria and Libya.

"Our 3-point shooting wasn’t there; we shot a poor 7/26. But the good thing is our big guys controlled the board while disorienting our opponent’s defense," said Valientes coach RJ Argamino.

He credited the patience of his squad, noting, "Terrence and Sam were superb. They made the big difference for us."

Deguara led the way with 21 points, while the supporting cast of Romeo, Bennett, Diouf, Manuel, Slaughter and Ebona combined for 50 points.

Looking ahead, the loss was costly for Beirut, denying the team a high seed in the playoffs. For the Valientes, however, it was a morale-boosting conclusion.

"We finally made it," said Slaughter. "Even though this game didn't technically count for us, we went all out to prove what we’re capable of. It’s a bummer, though — we were just a few days late in finally finding our rhythm."

Team owner Junnie Navarro confirmed that the team plans to return next year with better preparation.

"I think we will just need some retooling then add a few more weeks of training," Navarro said. "I feel sad that our conditioning and jelling showed up late. But I am happy to finally feel how it is to win here in Dubai. Quien pensa! Arriba Zamboanga!” (Contributed story)