Fajardo and Pao show lifts UC to back-to-back crowns

CEBU, Philippines - Edward Pao came up with the biggest shots of his career, drilling in a pair of booming 3-pointers at crunchtime as the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters rallied past the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras, 60-54, in the deciding Game 5 to clinch back-to-back titles in the seniors division of the 11th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

Game today (Cebu Coliseum)

Finals, Game 5

5:30 pm SHS-Ateneo vs. UV

Meanwhile, the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers and Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles will settle their own issue as they collide in the deciding match of their best-of-five finals series for the juniors division crown at 5:30 pm today.

It was a sweet redemption of sort for Pao. Aside from failing to score any point for more than three quarters and being hounded by several passing errors, Pao was also slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul for throwing an elbow to SWU's Eleazar Armecin in the final 4:30 of the contest.

Inspite of his lackluster showing, Pao still got the trust of UC coach Roel Gomez, who let him stay in the game.

And Pao did not let Gomez and the rest of his teammates down. More so, their legion of fans.

Making up from his sub-par performance, Pao hit a long triple that knotted the count at 52-all with still 2:23 left to play.

While 6-foot-9 center Junemar Fajardo scored 12 of his 23 points in the final canto, it was Pao's heroics that mattered most.

After SWU forward Rene Pacquiao tied the score for the last time at 54-all, Pao dropped another 3-point bomb to give the Webmasters the lead for god, 57-54.

Pesky guard Francis Luigi Bercede later split his charities to pad their lead to five, 59-54, that eventually broke the backs of the gritty Cobras with only 15 seconds to go.

"We just have the breaks of the game" said a very ecstatic Gomez, whose UC squad lost a 10-point lead, 28-18, and even trailed by three at the end of the third period, 35-38.

Aside from Fajardo, burly playmaker Quinton Brian Heruela was the only other UC player who dished out double figures with 11.

Pacquiao led the Cobras with 18 points, but 6-foot-6 center Justin Aboude, Bonifacio Guillena and Armecin were not so productive on the offensive end.

The scores

UC (60) - Fajardo 23, Heruela 11, Bercede 8, Auditor 8, Pao 6, Ampoon 2, Mohammad 2

SWU (54) - Pacquaio 18, Nalos 11, Aboude 9, Guillena 9, Armecin 6, Arong 1. - THE FREEMAN