BACOLOD City, Philippines – The University of the Visayas SBP and Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Passerelle basketball teams dropped their first games at the Visayas Regional Finals of the BEST Center SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo at the St. La Salle Gym. Ateneo de Iloilo shut down UV in the fourth quarter to score a come from behind win, 40-31 in an SBP game, while Sun Yat Sen of Iloilo stopped SHS-Ateneo, 74-60 in a Passerelle game.
UV started out hot, taking leads of 12-2, 25-16 and 31-27 after the first three quarters. Ateneo de Iloilo then took over in the fourth quarter holding UV scoreless in the payoff quarter for the win. UV’s shots weren’t falling while the duo John Vicencio and Ian Espinosa took over for the Iloilo SBP champions in the fourth, combining for 11 points in the fourth period.
Espinosa led Ateneo with 16 points. Franc Gabunada led UV with seven.
In the Passerelle game, SHS-Ateneo enjoyed a 29-17 lead after the first period, but that was the only part of the game they controlled. Sun Yat Sen wiped out the lead behind the four second quarter triples of Joshua Lopez, giving the Iloilo Passerelle champions a 48-37 halftime lead.
It was all Sun Yat Sen from there. SHS-Ateneo cut the lead to six 60-66, but Lopez buried two more triples to stop the SHS-Ateneo’s rally. Lopez led Sun Yat Sen with 20 points, including six triples. Coco Tuadles led SHS-Ateneo with 12.
Both UV and SHS-Ateneo now need to sweep their remaining games to earn a slot in the championship game.
In other games, St. John’s Institute of Bacolod ripped Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion of Roxas, 61-28 in the other SBP game, while Bacolod Tay Tung High School trashed College of St. John’s Roxas, 89-37 in the other Passerelle division game. The four teams of each division play in a single round robin classification phase with the top two teams clashing for the championship. (FREEMAN)