UV captures National Passerelle championship

CEBU, Philippines – After learning tough lessons from a runner-up finish in 2012, the University of the Visayas made sure their second trip would not turn out to be another bridesmaid finish. And so a first ever national Passerelle championship is in the bag for UV as they crushed Holy Child College of Davao, 65-46, to bag the Passerelle division championship at the national finals of the 2014 BEST SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo played at the Magis Eagles Arena of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu.

Playing with the confidence of a wounded tiger that lost to the same team earlier in the day, UV bounced back and used a big second quarter run to break the game wide open to score the historic win. After taking an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, UV leaned on Denzel Sabroso’s three triples to take a commanding 35-20 lead at halftime.

The lead ballooned to 48-26 after three quarters as Kint Ariar, John Paquibut and Joshua Canoy combined for 11 points to douse any hopes of a rally from the Mindanao champions from Davao.

Holy Child went to big man Allan Beltran in the fourth quarter but didn’t have the defense to stop the rampaging UV side.  Sabroso led UV with 12 points, all coming from the three point land. James Zenarosa added eight as the UV distributed their offense among 13 players.

Aaron Royo led Holy Child with 12 while Beltran added nine. The win wiped out UV’s 41-55 loss to the same team earlier in the day which created a three-way tie for first place for both teams and Chiang Kai Shek College of Manila at the end of the elimination round.

Chiang Kai Shek defeated Holy Angel University, 61-35, earlier in the day, and waited for the result of the first UV-Holy Child game, praying for a UV win that would’ve meant a UV-Chiang Kai Shek finals. In the game for third place of the Passerelle division, Chiang Kai Shek trounced Holy Angel University for a second straight time, 70-45.

The national Passerelle championship is a first ever for UV which launched its SBP and Passerelle program in 2011 with Coach Jay Mar Vincent Canoy at the helm. They placed second to La Salle Greenhills at the 2012 edition of the tournament.

Members of the team are Denzel Sabroso, John Paquibut, Kint Ariar, Royce Alforque, John Kirck Gonzaga, James Zenarosa, Josua Canoy, Kyle Campollo, Michael Carel, Christian Dado, Mark EJ Dumandan, John Igot, Froiland Maglasang, Osias Padilla, and Aaron Tejam. Canoy is assisted by Kenneth Pepito and Deej Villanueva.

In a statement, UV team manager and Cong. Samsam Gullas lauded the team.“Best Passerelle team in the country, that sounds so good to hear. As happy as I am that we are the national champions I'm just happy for Cebu Basketball in general.

These past two national competitions PCCL and MILO BEST showed that the gap between Manila and Cebu basketball is narrowing. As a provincial team and winning it all against the Giants of Luzon and Manila makes its all the more sweeter.

Even having a VISAYAS vs Mindanao championship is a tribute to the narrowing gap as well. But for UV, best Passerelle team in the country sounds very good to me. Congratulations UV Passerelle Team.” Gullas said. (FREEMAN)