CEBU, Philippines - The University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers clobbered the smaller University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters, 79-66, in the secondary match of the 11th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season last Thursday night at the Cebu Coliseum.
Games tomorrow (Cebu Coliseum)
Juniors
1 pm DBTC vs. SHS-AdC
2:30 pm CIT-U vs. USJ-R
Seniors
4 pm USC vs. UC
5:30 pm UV vs. USJ-R
While the Baby Panthers ended the first round with a 5-3 win-loss record, they will start the second phase with a tough assignment as they are pitted against the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers.
Already assured of winning with a 20-point lead, 77-57, in the final 3:15 mark of the contest, Raymond Cabungcal of the Baby Panthers was slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul when he swiped the ankle of UC's Cedei Aloncillo, who in turn pushed the ball into the former's chest in retaliation.
Rommel Diapera had a light workout against the Junior Webmasters scoring a game-high 34 points while Jason Cando finished with 21 points.
Center Jomari Bacalso topscored with 15 points for the 1-6 Junior Webmasters, while the seldom-used Niko Nemeño added 10 points.
It was really a bad night for the UC bantams as their usual scorers Andrey Armenion and Kurt Ian Trangia were held to just three points each.
After making a record for their first finals appearance last year, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-Adc) Magis Eagles are eyeing for another landmark feat as they gun for a 8-0 sweep when they take on the Don Bosco Greywolves tomorrow.
The scores
USPF (79) - Diapera 34, Cando 21, Villarta 11, Gairanod 6, Cabungcal 6, Bolivar 2, Divino 1, Amontos 1
UC (66) - Bacalso 15, Nemeño 10, Luardo 9, Grafilo 8, Orquez 6, Nemil 4, Villaceran 4, Armenion 3, Trangia 3, Bardaje 2, Aloncillo 2 Halftime: 41-34 (FREEMAN)