CEBU, Philippines - Defending champion University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters shook off a lackluster start to hack out a lopsided 84-63 victory over the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers and stay unbeaten in nine starts in the 11th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season at the Cebu Coliseum.
Games tomorrow
(Cebu Coliseum)
Juniors
5:15 pm USC vs. USJ-R
Seniors
6:45 pm USC vs. USJ-R
Like in their previous three games, the Webmasters again experimented on how their second stringers would fare and that resulted to a 15-21 deficit in the first period.
But that did not last long as coach Roel Gomez changed his mind and decided to field in his starting unit led by the 6-foot-9 center Junemar Fajardo.
Fajardo responded to the challenge and led the Webmasters with 25 points.
Top gunner Robinson Mohammad and pesky guard Luigi Bercede also finished in double figures with 14 points each.
The Webmasters, who led by as much as 24 points late in the third quarter off a triple by Bercede, recalled all starters in the final one minute and coach Gomez made a platoon substitution to let his second five finish the contest.
The Panthers, who dropped to 4-5, were led by Earvin Ferraren with 15 points, seven of them in to second period where they waxed hot and allowed the Webmasters to take only a five-point lead at halftimel, 41-36.
Randy Avila and Fritz Dajalos had 11 and 10 points, respectively for the Panthers.
Earlier, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildkittens chalked up their third straight win in the second round after beating the Don Bosco Technology Center (CBTC) Greywolves, 77-69.
Mark Kong fired 24 points and Jeraldvin Delima added 20 markers as the Wildkittens stayed in contention in the semifinal race with a 5-6 win-loss card.
Stephen Niere had 18 points for the 3-9 Greywolves, even as Jose Marlo Pono and Glenn Paul Carbon each scored 11 in a losing effort.
The scores
Juniors
CIT-U (77) - Kong 24, Delima 20, Lucero 11, Otadoy 7, Redulla 6, Dela Cruz 5, Molero 4,
DBTC (69) - Niere 18, Pono 11, Carbon 11, Abelgas 10, Aying 6, Tabsa 4, Ruiz 3, Escaño 3 Halftime: 38-22
Seniors
UC (84) - Fajardo 25, Bercede 14, Mohammad 14, Pao 8, Auditor 8, Batino 7, Aranas 5, Heruela 3
USPF (63) - E. Ferraren 15, Avilla 11, Dajalos 10, Sedurifa 9, Linao 8, Meca 2, Camello 2, Fuentes 2, Sollano 2 Halftime: 41-36 (FREEMAN)