USC North, CEC send two teams to MLKP Cup Finals

CEBU, Philippines - It will be a case of last-day backdoor entries, new faces and the use of the tiebreaker in the finals of the ML Kwarta Padala Cup 2011.

All tickets to the finals of all divisions were determined in down-the-wire fashion on the last day of the classification phase that saw University of San Carlos (USC) North and Cebu Eastern College (CEC) send two teams each to the finals.

Surprise package was the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) which made it through the backdoor, while traditional grade school strong teams Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) and USC North maintained their hold in the younger age groups.

In the 16 Under Division-A, USC North ousted Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), 69-41, to grab the top seed and first finals slot, while USJ-R squeezed into the finals via the tiebreaker after nipping University of the Visayas, 55-53.

USC North topped the classification phase with a 4-1 record, while USJ-R, Cebu Eastern College (CEC) and SHS-AdC were tied for second through fourth places with identical 3-2 records. USJ-R got the upper hand with the highest goal difference of 1.0284 against CEC’s 0.9919 and SHS-AdC’s .09746. CEC and SHS-AdC were relegated to the game for third place.

In the 13 Under Division-A, SHS-AdC maintained its top seeding and earned the first ticket to the finals of the tournament also backed by B-Meg despite losing to USC North, 29-49. 

Cebu Eastern College (CEC) grabbed the second finals slot with its 53-50 over USC South/B-Meg. Just like the 16 Under division, only the top seed was safe with SHS-AdC sporting a 4-1 record. CEC, USC South and USC North were also tied for second through fourth places with 3-2 records.

Since CEC had won over the two USC squads in the elimination round, they punched second ticket to the finals, leaving the sister schools to fight it out for third place.

CEC sent a strong signal to the basketball community as it also made it to the finals of the B-Meg 10 Under division, topping the elimination round with a 4-1 record after ousting USJ-R, 30-24.

USC North also sent a second team to the finals of the tournament, defeating SHS-AdC, 31-25 in a virtual knockout match for the second finals slot. CEC and USC North were tied at the top with 4-1 records, followed by SHS-AdC and USC South who were both at 3-2.

USJ-R and USC North are new faces in the 16 Under Division-A finals of the ML Kwarta Padala Cup which had been dominated in the past by USC South and the University of Cebu (UC). CEC is likewise making its first appearance in the finals of the tournament at any age group level.

SHS-AdC is hoping to make up for its runner-up finish in the 13-Under Division A from last year, while USC North is making a first taste of the finals in the B-Meg 10 Under Division.

In the Division B games, CIT-U and USC North-B will face off in the finals of the 13 Under Division B. USPF faces USC North-B, while CIT-U and SHS-AdC-B match up to determine the finalists of the 16 Under Division B.

The MLKP Cup 2011 is organized by the Cebu Youth Basketball League (CYBL). It is co-sponsored by B-Meg Premium and supported by Ave Maria Sanctuary Park. – PR (THE FREEMAN)