USC, UC in 'basket-brawl'; Punches, monobloc chairs thrown in CESAFI's worst game in 5 years

Punches and monoblock chairs were flying inside the hardcourt when the game between the University of Cebu Webmasters against the University of San Carlos Warriors turned out to be a disgraceful bench-clearing melee, marking what had been the worst game in the five-year history of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball event last Sunday at the USC gym.

Games today
(Lapu-Lapu gym)
4 pm Don Bosco vs. CIT
(juniors)
5:30 pm UC vs. USJ-R
(juniors)
7 pm UC vs. USJ-R (seniors)

The mad rumble and wild scramble occured at the final 1:38 mark of the game and the Webmasters leading by six points, 89-83.

The rumble quickly erupted without warning. The main culprits were UC's Allain Abellanosa and USC's Ahman James Tagalog, who were taunting and trash-talking against each other.

All of a sudden during a dead ball, Abellanosa confronted Tagalog and when the latter tried to elude, Abellanosa chased him until they fought under the goal in front of the Warriors' bench.



The other USC players at the bench and even some of their friends came to the rescue of Tagalog, while the UC players tried to pacify Abellanosa, hence the "basket-brawl" lasted for nearly two minutes.

Luckily, no player or any supporter was seriously harmed in the incident.

The hardcourt violence was only halted when a man carrying a 45 pistol fired a warning shot onto the gym's rooftop. Afterwards, the so-called proverbial cooler heads helped in restoring order at the gym with the intervention of the three CESAFI commissioners in Danny Duran, Robert Callelro and Lito Singson.

The gun-toting man, who fired the warning shot, allegedly turned out to be Tagalog's father, said to be a Cebu City policeman.

Duran and some of the parties involved held a meeting yesterday to resolve the controversy as soon as possible. They will also decide on what sanctions they will impose on the erring parties.

Initial decision issued by Duran was to replay the last 1:38 of the game via closed-door.

From a close first half, the Webmasters put their acts together in the third period where they mounted a 21-point lead, 76-55. They started the fourth period also with an 82-61 edge.

But what appeared to be a big blowout for the Webmasters turned out to be a close contest as the Warriors staged a gutsy fightback to pull within two, 83-85, on Vermini Tangarorang's two free throws with 2:44 left in the game.

Earlier, Adrian Alforque And John Rafael Flanco scored 21 points each as the Baby Warriors exacted vengeance of their 66-68 loss to the Junior Webmasters last August 11 with a 79-63 victory to grabd the solo lead in teh juniors division with a 6-3 win-loss record.

The Junior Webmasters dropped to 3-4.

In the distaff side, Maria Melrose Piloto and Jewel Belongeul scored 15 points apiece to lead the UC Lady Webmasters to a 68-47 bashing of the Cebu Institute of Technology Lady Wildcats. First game-Women's

UC (68) - Piloto 15, Belongeul 15, nieves 13, Lanuza 11, Fernandez 4, Pilapil 4, Guay, Lanik 2

CIT (47) - Tabernero 18, Sanchez 17, Pepito 8, Trazona 4

Second game-Juniors

USC (79) - Flanco 21, Alforque 21, Arriesgado 16, Padillo 9, Morales 4, Lao 4, Bucayan 2, Magat 2, codilla 2 UC (63) - Mohammad 15, Espinosa 11, Mira 7, Ompad 7, Colina 6, Tabalin 6, Cuico 4, Gayo 3, Connors 2, Enriquez 2