Jaguars down Panthers

CEBU, Philippines - The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars logged their first win in four games of the second round via a 74-68 decision over the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers in the 11th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season last Tuesday night at the Cebu Coliseum.

Games today (Cebu Coliseum)

5:15 pm USC vs. SHS-AdC (jrs.)

6:45 pm USC vs. UV (srs.)

Banjo Capillar knocked in two clutch triples late in the fourth period to help the Jaguars end their drought spanning for more than a month. He had a career-high 28 points for the Jaguars, who never scored victory since August 20 when they defeated the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, 80-69, during the first round.

The Jaguars improved their win-loss record to 2-8 but they are still two games behind the Panthers, who sport a 4-6 slate.

Abulaiz Suliman finished with 17 points for the Jaguars, while Jason Olbedado added 12 points.

The usually resilient Panthers, whose biggest catch of the season was their 62-59 upset of the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras during the first round, came close for the last time at 57-58 on two charities by Joseph Sedurifa with still 6:42 to go in the game.

Capillar made it 60-57 and then hit a triple to make it 63-57 before hitting another three-pointer for a 66-59 lead as they doused cold water at the height of the Panthers' rally.

Later, Suliman's three-point play off a foul by Anthony Linao gave the Jaguars their largest lead at 11 points, 71-60.

The Jaguars were also ahead at halftime, 37-29, as they held off the Panthers to just eight points in the second period as against their 21-point haul.

Sedurifa, James Ferraren and Randy Avila had a balanced scoring among them but the missing link was Fritz Dajalos who just finished with eight points.

Sedurifa topscored with 17 points. while Ferraren and Avila had identical 15 points in a losing cause.

The scores

USJ-R (74) - Capillar 28, Suliman 17, Olbedado 12, Abing 5, Genodiala 5, Dela Rama 3, Sanchez 2, Cinco 2

USPF (68) - Sedurifa 17, J. Ferraren 15, Avila 15, Dajalos 8, E. Ferraren 6, Linao 5. - THE FREEMAN