UV captures Passerelle title

CEBU, Philippines- It was a game that persons with heart cases shouldn’t have watched. Heart stopping and heart breaking, the game had everything a basketball fan looked for in a game, and more.

In the last six minutes of the game, there were eight lead changes as both teams exchanged baskets in a tit-for-tat showdown. Through all that, both teams had opportunities to score and pull away. True, both teams had their share of errors and turnovers, but isn’t that only normal for 13 to 15 year old kids playing in the biggest games of their lives?

And when the buzzer sounded and the dust had cleared, it was unfortunate that one team had to give way to a winner. In winning their second Passerelle division championship in two years, the University of the Visayas showed that by hanging tough, never giving up and making nerve-wracking those free throws, a championship could be won. And win they did when they squeezed out a 56-53 win over Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu in the championship game of the Passerelle division of the 2014 BEST SBP Passerelle Tournament sponsored by Milo.

UV and SHS-AdC were like two thoroughbreds in a horse race that battled each other neck and neck with neither side giving the other breathing room to break away. SHS-AdC enjoyed a slight lead out of the blocks as they took a 10-6 lead after the first quarter behind the seven points of Jed Colonia. The lead was maintained at four points, 22-18 after the second period where Anton Chua delivered eight points for the Magis Eagles.

Then the tide turned in the third quarter when UV’s John Clint Paquibut had a break-out quarter drilling in 15 points that included three triples and a couple of nifty shake-and-bake ankle breakers that resulted into crowd pleasing pull-up jumpers. After three quarters, UV was on top, 40-31, and was smelling a championship.

But the Magis Eagles had something else in mind. In a span of four minutes, SHS-AdC went on a 10-0 run to regain the lead at 41-40 with Colonia, Chua and Andrew Velasco delivering the points. At this point, the game was up for grabs. Will SHS-AdC’s momentum carry over or will UV recover? Denzel Sabroso, a prized catch from Cebu Eastern College, calmly sank two free throws to give UV back the lead at 42-41 at the 5:32 mark of the game, their first points of the payoff period.

It was then a seesaw of an exchange of baskets with the last lead change recorded by Colonia, who scored on an offensive rebound to give SHS-AdC a 49-47 lead with two minutes left in the game. After both sides swapped turnovers, Sabroso drilled a trey (his only one for the game) for a 50-49 lead with a minute left.

After two failed attempts of SHS-AdC and another miss by UV, John Kirck Gonzaga came out of nowhere to grab an offensive rebound and was fouled quickly, sending him to the free throw line with 22.8 seconds left. “Been there, done that” must’ve been his mindset as he calmly sank both for a 52-49 lead. After another SHS-AdC miss, Sabroso was fouled with 15.4 seconds left. Again, no miss this time for more breathing room at 54-49.

Was it over? UV fans were ready to celebrate at this point. But SHS-AdC bounced back. John Chen made a jumper with 11.7 seconds left to cut the lead to 54-51. They quickly fouled James Zenarosa who went to the line with 11.2 ticks left. Again, spotless shooting for a 56-51 score.

Was it over for the Magis Eagles? Chua said “negative” as he scored to cut the lead to 56-53. Then it happened. SHS-AdC stole the ball as they applied a full-court press. Were they going to score a triple to send the game into overtime? The ball found itself in the hands of Steven Co who then fired an attempt from treyland which rimmed around the goal before getting “coughed out” on to the court. Game over.

UV won a second Passerelle division title after its first in 2012, and will be headed to Roxas for the Visayas Regional Finals in November. Sabroso and Paquibut led UV with 15 points apiece. Chua led SHS-AdC with 14 points as Colonia and Velasco had 11 each.

In the crowd was UV team manager and Congressman Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas, who was all praises for his wards. “Never underestimate the heart of a Visayanian. Coming into the game, we were underdogs in every sense of the word, but I’m very proud of the players who have become somewhat like my kids as well, that they overcame the odds through determination, grit and their never say die attitude. It was a great game where the breaks of the game luckily went our way,” Gullas said.

On the other side, SHS-AdC had nothing to be ashamed of as they, too never gave up until the buzzer sounded. They were a missed putback (or more) or turnover away from a win but as they say, it wasn’t meant to be.

In the game for third place, the University of San Carlos went all out in scoring an emphatic 86-58 win over CEC. Briedyn Smith led USC with 13 points while Johan Orillaneda led CEC with 13.

In games of the SBP division, USC trounced USJ-R (1-3), 64-17, for its fourth straight win, while UV (2-2) stopped Don Bosco (0-4), 61-22.