MANILA, Philippines – Olivarez College pulled through in a tight finish, edging erstwhile unbeaten Centro Escolar U, 65-63, at the close of the Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) double-round elims at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque last Tuesday.
Though a non-bearing match, the Sea Lions and the Scorpions still slugged it out from the start, fighting to 12-12 and 26-26 standoffs in the first two quarters. CEU, seeking to complete a 12-game sweep, grabbed a 44-43 lead after three quarters but Olivarez refused to give up and snatched victory at endgame.
CEU still wound up as No. 1 with an 11-1 card and remained the overwhelming favorite against No. 4 Colegio de San Lorenzo (5-7) in Thursday’s semifinals. But Olivarez College drew some kind of a boost from the win in its Final Four clash with the Technological Institute of the Philippines Engineers.
Diliman College completed a day of reversals as it stunned TIP, 73-61, in the other game.