As focused of attention was much more given to his more illustrious peers, two-time Most Valuable Player James Yap, Chris Tiu and Joseph Yeo, Ken Bono, the burly but deadly sniper of Hua Siong College of Iloilo, stole the spotlight in the opener of the championship series against Xavier School.
A former Most Valuable Player in the UAAP and the nearly forgotten star in this explosive championship showdown in the 40-and-up division of the Fil-Chi Athletic Association Inc. basketball tournament, Bono displayed his velvet touch from beyond the arc and led HSCI to a dominant 69-52 triumph over Xavier School late Monday night at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.
He drilled in five of his seven attempts from the three-point region on his way to finish with 26 points.
“Malakas yung Xavier. Nagkataon lang siguro nung second half, maganda yung executon namin,” said Bono, who kept himself in shape playing continues basketball, being involved with the Mindoro Tamaraws in the MPBL.
A PBA journeyman, Bono didn’t stop playing even with the minimal role given to him by PBA teams.
Over the past few years, he was still able to play at a high level, backstopping the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA 3×3 until the standalone league was shelved. In the ongoing MPBL, he was able to crack the roster of Mindoro and that somehow kept himself in tip-top condition.
“Naglalaro ako sa MPBL sa Mindoro. Tuluy-tuloy lang and hopefully — maging healthy,” added Bono.
Yap, undoubtedly the biggest star playing in the league, had a reunion of sorts playing in front of his constituents in San Juan where he serves as a reelected Councilor.
Being the focal point of the offense, Yap was able to draw the attention of the defense, allowing him to give his teammates good looks to the basket. He finished with a double-double performance of 22 points and 14 rebounds, but also dished out five assists in a solid all-around performance.
With Yap and Bono, who also grabbed 13 rebounds, to likewise finish with a double-double game, HSCI clobbered Xavier School in the battle of the boards, 70-46, as Jose Villegas also provided the added muscle, grabbing nine caroms. HSCI’s inside game also allowed the squad to outscore its counterpart in the shaded lane, 22-8.
Yap, Bono and the rest of the HSCI squad will have a chance to wrap it up with a victory on Wednesday, June 18, to be held at the SGS Gym right after the awarding ceremonies where the league fetes the top performers of the tournament.
