Talisay's Echavez is Governor's Cup MVP

CEBU, Philippines — Spunky forward Elmer Echavez of the Talisay City AquaStars was named as the Most Valuable Player to top the list of individual awardees in the 2018 Cebu Governor's Cup Inter-Cities and Municipalities Under-21 Developmental Basketball Tournament.

Echavez, who averaged 19.5 points per game, was joined in the elite Mythical Five by his teammates Keaton Clyde Taburnal (12.5ppg) and Kendrick Abarquez (7.25 ppg), and Emmanuel Villamor (23.5ppg) of the Consolacion Sarok Weavers and Kenny Rogers Rocacurva (20.6ppg) of San Francisco.

Echavez and Abarquez are members of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars. They will soon be joined by explosive point guard Jay Deiparine, while Rocacurva is an incoming freshman at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats.

Echavez, Abarquez, Taburnal and Deiparine formed an awesome foursome as Talisay finished the three-month cage wars with a perfect 13-0 record.

The AquaStars capped their amazing run with a two-game sweep of San Francisco in the grand finals to clinch the coveted title.

Talisay stands to receive P500,000, while San Francisco will take home P300,000. Third placer Consolacion will pocket P200,000, while the Sibonga Pillars will take home P100,000.

All the winners and individual achievers will formally be feted during the awarding ceremony in conjuction with the culminating activity of the 449th founding anniversary of Cebu Province on August 24 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. - EBV