BUENA Foods-JSKILLS opened the Philippine Youth Basketball Championship Season 2 with a hard-fought 64-58 victory over Taho Story Sigma in a Finals rematch held Sunday. April 26, at the FilOil Centre in San Juan. The win set the tone for an intense opening day in the Under-12 division presented by Growee.

Ares Loki Cruz delivered a standout performance for JSKILLS, powering the team with 21 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. His clutch shooting in the closing moments proved decisive in securing the win for the defending contenders.

JSKILLS executes down the stretch

The game tightened in the final minutes before Cruz buried a crucial three-pointer that stretched the lead to 61-56, shifting momentum firmly to JSKILLS. Head coach Jerome Ortega credited his squad’s composure and execution in pressure situations as the key to the win.

Carlos Miguel Gonzales also played a vital supporting role with eight points and 11 rebounds, while Dlare Simbulan added a well-rounded performance of six points, 12 rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Their combined effort helped JSKILLS maintain control in a closely contested matchup.

Taho Story Sigma kept pace behind Marcus Mesina, who finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Glenn Mabulac added nine points and 10 rebounds, but the team fell short in the closing stretch.

San Beda squads also shine in opening day action

Grupong Bedista-San Beda and Spartans San Beda-Alabang delivered one of the most exciting games of the day, with Grupong Bedista escaping a tight 91-88 win. John Matthew Cañeta led the charge with 25 points, 15 rebounds, six steals, and four assists, including a clutch three-pointer in crunch time.

Luke Andres added 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Sylvester Libongco contributed 12 points and nine boards. Spartans San Beda-Alabang fought hard behind Chino Tan’s triple-double-like performance of 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, but fell just short in the end.

Other Under-12 action saw Travis Generals overpower JJD Construction-SCBA, 78-63, while Grupong Bedista also opened strong in the Under-18 division with a dominant 96-72 win over 1118 Autospa Dragons, led by Zed Marial and Gabriel Zapues.