[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’Rising Bacolodnon cager Belangel shines in UAAP’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – After strutting his wares in Bacolod City, Sam Josef “SJ” Belangel is now making a name for himself with the Ateneo Blue Eaglets in the ongoing UAAP Season 79 juniors’ basketball.
Belangel, considered the best Bacolod basketball alum since Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ James Yap, is leading the Blue Eagles with 15.71 points, 10 rebounds and 5.86 assists averages per game.
Belangel scored a career-best 23 points during Blue Eaglets’ 73-68 loss to National University Bullpups. The Bacolodnon forward also tallied a triple-double – 10 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists – in their 89-62 win over the University of the East Pages.
The 16-year-old Belangel, who was also a mainstay of the Batang Pilipinas basketball team, currently places second in UAAP juniors MVP race with 70.57 statistical points (SPs).
Ahead of Belangel is Adamson University Baby Falcons’ Encho Serrano, who tallied 73.43 SPs. Completing the top five are University of the Philippines’ Juan Gomez de Liano, Bullpups John Lloyd Clemente, and Far Eastern University’s Kenji Roman.
Belangel’s name rose to fame after scoring 99 points in a game in an Under-13 league in Iloilo City. He also had an 85-point and 65-point output in the tournament while donning the Tay Tung jersey.
“I scored only 99 points in a game in Iloilo,” Belangel said in a previous interview with Panay News. “The tournament was for 13 years old and below. My teammates fed me the ball to shoot more. Masaya yung game kasi dikit yung laban at nanalo kami.”
Belangel first played organized basketball with Eliakim Learning School in the BUS Group 10-Under competition. He also had stints with the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and St. Joseph’s Academy in Iloilo City before suiting up for Tay Tung./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
