USC, UV seek SBP passerelle Regional titles

CEBU, Philippines - The University of San Carlos SBP team and the University of the Visayas Passerelle team are off to Roxas City for the Visayas Regional Finals of the BEST SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament sponsored by Milo. A tight schedule of games will be played tomorrow until Sunday.

The teams will face the different local champions of the Visayas to determine who qualifies for the national finals which will be held in Cebu December 13-14.

In the SBP division, USC will go up against St. John’s Institute of Bacolod, Ateneo de Iloilo and Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion  of Roxas. USC is seeking to regain the title last won in 2012 after bowing to La Salle Bacolod last year. Leading the Baby Warriors of Coach Vernini Tangarorang are Cebu MVP Brandon Largo and Kadshein Tagalog.

The fight for the bragging rights for the Visayas is even among USC, St. John’s and Ateneo de Iloilo. The three areas have shared the Visayas SBP title for the past eight years.

Past champions have included Tay Tung Bacolod in 2008, Ateneo de Iloilo in 2009, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu in 2010, St. John’s Bacolod in 2011, USC in 2012 and USLS Bacolod in 2013.

In the Passerelle division, UV goes up against University of St. La Salle of Bacolod, Hua Siong College of Iloilo and CPC of Roxas. Like the SBP division, it’s anybody’s game with USLS and Hua Siong expected to crowd UV for the title. The Baby Lancers will lean on MVP John Igot, Denzel Sabroso, James Zenarosa and John Clint Paquibut.

Cebu has won the Visayas Passerelle championship every year since 2008, with Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu winning the title from 2008-2011, UV in 2012 and USC in 2013. But while UV is a favorite, Coach Jay Mar Canoy isn’t taking any chances and is preparing for tough games up ahead, aware that both Bacolod and Iloilo haven’t been to the national finals in seven years.

The format for both divisions is a single round robin classification phase with the top two teams squaring off in the championship game. The SBP division (Under 12) is for players born 202, 2003 and 2004, while the Passerelle division (Under 15) is for players born 1999, 2000 and 2001. (FREEMAN)