McDonald’s has captured its second straight Alex Tumang Cup.
A strong fourth quarter lifted the team to a 67–56 victory over the Pinoy Brothers on June 14 at the SLS Centre.
Game MVP Mike Kierstad said a defensive adjustment helped turn the tide.
“We switched it up on the defensive end between man and zone,” said Kierstad. “That confused them a little bit. With strong communication on our end, we were hitting all the open shots.”
“Every season it’s the same group of guys and we’re really starting to gel. We’ve got great shooters, we’ve got guys who can go the full four quarters—it’s great to see.”
It’s been a close rivalry all season, with McDonald’s also handing the Pinoy Brothers their only regular-season loss.
Will Jacques, named MVP for the Pinoy Brothers and a former standout with the Cochrane Cobras, said he’s proud of his team’s growth.
“They’re very disciplined, and we’ve got a lot of guys who have just started playing basketball,” said Jacques. “At the end of the day, it comes down to willpower. We just came up short today, and that’s OK.”
The idea of returning next season to stop McDonald’s from completing a three-peat is already a motivator for the Pinoy Brothers.
“I love the guys on my team to death, so I’ll do anything for them. Bringing it back would be amazing. We’ve got to stop McDonald's from getting a three-peat.”
Organized by Sunday Hoops, this marked the third season for the league, which this year included four teams made up of players from Cochrane, Canmore and the surrounding area.
In the consolation matchup, Brgy defeated House of Cars.
