Fil-Am Nation Select defends throne; bags 2025 NBTC National Division 1 title

MANILA, Philippines, April 7 ------ For the second straight year, Fil-Am Nation Select-USA ruled the Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM Supermalls after shooting down Phenom BlueFire-Pasay, 64-59, in the Division 1 title game at SM Mall of Asia Arena.  

Even with lead guard Angelino Mark fouling out in the final frame, his teammates picked up the slack and even built a 10-point advantage, 58-48, at the 6:22 mark of the quarter. Matthew Jucom's top of the key three with 22.2 ticks to go, however, closed Phenom BlueFire to within one, 59-60, and the Pasay-based club team's full-court pressure put possession up for grabs. 

The Fil-Americans, though, were eventually able to forward the ball to Andrew Miller, who took what was judged to be an unsportsmanlike foul from Lanze Ronquillo. Miller, Hunter Marumoto, and Eian Lowe then converted four of their six charities to seal the deal in Fil-Nation Select's back-to-back championships in the grassroots program also sponsored by MNL Kingpin, Molten, Pocari Sweat, Burlington, Swish, and Buffalo's Wings N' Things. "I just told them to stay focused, stay poised. We knew we were in for this kind of game," said head coach Byron Scott, who also lauded the physical play and high basketball IQ for Filipino ballers. 

Mark, the Division 1 Ato Badolato Most Outstanding Player, was the only USA player in double-digits with 32 points on top of nine rebounds and three steals, but Caelum Harris delivered at the other end with 12 rebounds to go with seven points. A year ago, Fil-Am Nation Select became the first global team to win either a championship in either Division 1 or 2. Now, they join NU-Nazareth School as the only squads to have defended their titles. For Phenom BlueFire, Kieffer Alas showed the way with 20 points, two rebounds, and two assists. 

Mark and Harris, Alas and teammate Bonn Daja, and UST-Manila's Koji Buenaflor made up the Division 1 Mythical Team. 

Source: philstar.com