Zamboanga drew firepower from Mike Tolomia and Vic Manuel down the stretch to pull off a 72-68 win over De La Salle University in the 3rd Gov. Ann K. Hofer Open Invitational Basketball Tournament late Tuesday at the Cultural & Sports Center in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Coming off a 95-91 triumph over College of Saint Benilde last Monday, the Valientes banked on former Philippine Basketball Association stalwarts Tolomia and Manuel while Malick Diouf chipped in significant numbers to eke out the victory.

Down by six points with two minutes left, Manuel showcased his pedigree, drilling a huge triple and sinking a floater in the final 25 seconds to cut the deficit down to one, 67-68.

Then, he stripped Jacob Cortez and found Tolomia for an easy fastbreak layup, giving the home squad a 69-68 edge with 1:15 left.

Diouf, who brought energy off the bench, stepped up defensively, blocking Luis Pablo and Mike Phillips on back-to-back possessions. He then secured a crucial offensive rebound off a Manuel miss and converted a putback to extend the lead to 71-68.

The Green Archers had a chance to force overtime, but JC Macalalag missed a wide-open three-pointer from the left corner.

Manuel then split his free throws with 7.5 seconds left to cap a blistering 10-0 run that sealed the win for the Valientes.

“First and foremost, I’m very happy for the entire team. Everyone worked hard for this win. I especially want to give credit to our veteran players, Vic Manuel, and our import, Malick Diouf, who played exceptional defense in the crucial final seconds,” Valientes head coach Bobidick Delos Santos said.

Manuel poured 10 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter while Diouf and Prince Caperal added 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the Valientes’ second-straight win.

Tolomia and Italian-Maltese center Sam Deguara each contributed seven markers while Kyt Jimenez and Carl Bryan Cruz had five points apiece.

“This is a proud moment, a win we dedicate to Zamboanga City. Our team, composed of experienced professionals, showed their class and determination against two strong collegiate programs,” Zamboanga team owner Junnie Navarro said.

“These wins reflect the hard work we’ve put in to elevate Zamboanga basketball, and we will continue pushing forward. All glory to God! Arriba Zamboanga! Viva Valientes!”