CEBU, Philippines - The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras blew hot and cold in the fourth period but escaped with a 66-62 victory over the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers in the second round of the 11th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season last Tuesday night at the Cebu Coliseum.
Games today
(Cebu Coliseum)
5:15 pm DBTC vs.
CEC (jrs.)
6:45 pm USJ-R vs.
UC (srs.)
Despite they trailed most of the way, another upset by the Panthers was actually shaping as they pulled within just a hairline, 62-63, with only 12 seconds left to play.
The Panthers, who beat the Cobras during their first encounter, 62-59, looked like doing the same thing but they mangled what could have been a possible winning chance with a costly defensive lapse for not boxing out Bonifacio Guillena in the final 10.4 seconds just after a split charities by Rene Pacquaio that put the Cobras up by only two, 64-62.
Guillena picked up the offensive rebound and later on sank the insurance free throws with seven ticks remaining before the final buzzer.
The Cobras, now toting with a 4-3 win-loss record, were ahead by 13 points, 47-34, on a 15-2 run in the final 2:16 mark of the third quarter.
But just when everybody thought the game would already be in the Cobras' hands, the Panthers growled in the final canto using a 14-1 rally to tie the count at 48-all with still plenty of time to spare.
Pacquiao topscored for the Cobras with 17 points, while 6-foot-6 Cameroonian center Justin Aboude added 15 markers.
James Ferraren was the only double-digit scorer for the Panthers with 10.
Earlier, Andres Paul Desiderio had 25 points and Nelson Peralta added 14 as the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers reaffirmed their dominance over defending champion Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons, 75-69, to improve their win-loss record to 9-1.
Desiderio sparked the rally for the Baby Lancers in the second half, but it was the three straight triples by Peralta bridging the third and fourth periods that somehow broke the backs of the Dragons. Peralta's third triple gave UV its biggest lead, 66-57, with still 6:46 left to play.
James Neil Sumayang led the Dragons with 29 points, while Marvin Bauya added 10.
The scores
Juniors
UV (75) - Desiderio 25, Peralta 14, Oche 9, Ugsang 8, Dennison 7, Lucero 5, Berdin 5, Calumpang 1, Tudio 1
CEC (69) - Sumayang 29, Bauya 12, Balankig 7, Sedillo 7, Huevos 6, Yap 4, Villarosa 2, Roxas 2 (GGM)
Seniors
SWU (66) - Pacquiao 17, Aboude 15, Armecin 8, Nalos 8, Bregondo 8, Guillena 7, Arong 3
USPF (62) - J. Ferraren 10, Dajalos 9, Sedurifa 8, Linao 8, Avila 7, E. Ferraren 6, Meca 6, Sollano 6 Halftime: 26-25 (FREEMAN)