CEBU, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters snapped their two-game losing skid after ending the hot streak of the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons,
67-54,in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball tournament on Sunday, October 4, at the Cebu Coliseum.
Luther Leonard top-scored for UC with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Joseph Arth Nalos added 12 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal, while Ricofer Sordilla tallied 11 markers with three rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocks as the Webmasters regained a Top 4 spot with a 5-3 win-loss record.
The Webmasters actually trailed by a hairline, 33-34, at halftime, but the boys of coach Atty. Kernn Sesante staged a blistering 19-6 counterattack in the third quarter to seize a 52-40 lead, which peaked at 16 points late in the game.
AJ de los Reyes unloaded 18 points with three rebounds, one assist and four steals, while Joaquin Iñigo Zaldivar finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, one steal and two blocks but their efforts went unrewarded at the Fighting Maroons saw their two-game winning run come to an end and fell to 2-5.
Earlier, Jade Bialan, a prized catch of UC basketball program, made history by recording a rare triple-double with 20 rebounds and 10 blocks as the Junior Webmasters downed the San Carlos School of Cebu (SCSC) Baby Warriors, 71-62.
The promising 16-year-old, 6-foot-8 big man from Davao de Oro also had 16 points, two steals and an assist in an explosive performance that was one for the books.
Mark Jovil Datoon also caught the eye with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals, as did Jay Zander Bulagsak, who posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds with two assists and three steals as the Junior Webmasters joined the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Juniors Wildcats at the top of the juniors division standings with identical 5-1 cards.
Lance Luther Aballe fired 20 points with three rebounds, while Ahron Andrei Casul chipped in 14 points, one rebound, two assists and three steals but their efforts went in vain as the Baby Warriors absorbed their fourth loss in six games.