UPIS bags semis slot in BBI hoops

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines Junior Fighting Maroons, just like their UAAP seniors counterpart, picked up a huge win over the weekend in the sulit.ph Breakdown Basketball Invitationals at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center.

Aldus Torculas of UPIS punctuated a perfect afternoon for UPIS with a dunk to end the scoring in an 83-76 win over the Arellano University Braves to solidify their position in the semifinals race of the Under-19 Division of this growing grassroots basketball tournament. 

The Braves, looking to get their campaign for the semifinals back on track, led 64-56 entering the final quarter. They traded points and added a point to their lead, after a jumpshot by Venzon Liscano at the 7:23 mark, 69-60.

A 7-0 run by UP had them breathing down AU’s necks, 69-67, after a Jacob Estrera triple, 5:13 left. The Chiefs’ Paul Lopez added a free throw and a bucket while Ivan Salinel dropped a triple to seemingly resuscitate their flagging offense, 75-68. But UPIS had gotten their second wind as triples from Matt Santiago, Estrera, and King Vergeire finally overhauled that deficit, 77-75, with exactly two minutes to play. 

Vergeire scored four straight points with Torculas slam the icing on the cake as UPIS shut down AU in the final 1:45 to claim the win that put them at 6-2. 

The duo of King Vergeire and Matt Santiago provided the bulk of the scoring for UPIS with 27 and 24 points respectively. Jacob Estrera’s crucial two fourth quarter triples saw him finish with 13.

Ivan Salinel paced AU in the losing effort with 24 markers. Mark Cuenco and Paul Lopez added 16 and 15 points, respectively. 

The idle UST Tigers Cubs pace the nine-team U-19 division with a 6-1 record with one match to play. DLSZ with a game at hand is at 5-2 and in third place. The AMA Junior Titans and San Benildo Wolves are battling it out for the fourth spot with a 4-2 and 3-3 record respectively. Arellano has an outside chance at 2-3 assuming they win their final three assignments. However, their fate is no longer in their hands. 

In the semifinals of the U-19, only the top four will advance, with the number one seed taking on the fourth placer and the second and third spots facing off in a sudden death affair.