CESAFI: UC Junior Webmasters advance to semis

Mars G. Alison

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CESAFI: UC Junior Webmasters advance to semis
The UC Junior Webmasters advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 5 years by booting out last season's third placer, the USPF Baby Panthers

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters advanced to the semifinals for the first time in 5 years by booting out last season’s third placer, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers, 87-76, Tuesday, September 8 in the junior division playoffs of the men’s basketball tournament of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) held at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The last time that the Junior Webmasters clinched a semifinals ticket was in 2010. The last time they won the juniors title was in 2008.

Team manager Atty. Baldomero Estenzo said that, while he was hoping for victory, “frankly speaking, I did not expect it.”

And Estenzo had reason to have reservations; the Baby Panthers had demolished them 93-68 during their meeting in the elimination round with Ain Obenza scoring 30 points.

For this crucial game, despite having a twice to beat advantage after finishing third with 5-3 record, Estenzo said that he and head coach Joever Samonte had one game plan, and that was to contain Obenza.

According to Estenzo, Obenza was the biggest factor in their loss to the Panthers the first time they met this season.

“As much as possible di padawaton ug bola si Obenza (Obenza must not be able to receive the ball). You see when the guards are screened, he gets to shoot the ball,” said Estenzo.

Despite the pressure and the tight defense, Obenza still managed to score 27 points.

The Junior Webmasters have a lot of work to do as they prepare for the semifinals which will follow a single round robin format.

“They have to learn to sprint during defense. They tend to just jog and they cannot do that against the Magis Eagles and the Baby Warriors because these are fastbreak teams. They have to be fast in their transition,” said Estenzo.

The team manager added that the Junior Webmasters also have to think “teamwork”, and not to go individual on offense.

“They have that tendency but that is understandable because they are still young,” said Estenzo, who added that they should also dribble less and pass more to avoid turnovers.

Four Junior Webmasters scored in double figures, opposed to only two from the Baby Panthers.

Froilan Mangubat, who was named best player of the ballgame, led the scoring spree with his 32 points. The other 3 hoopsters who finished in double figures were Jason Florence Abejo (16), Johnbryl Cuyos (15) and Luigi Kondrad Gabisan (14 points).

For the Baby Panthers, aside from Obenza, only Dennis Archival was able to also finish in double figures as he contributed 16 points.

The Junior Webmasters did not waste time, erecting an 11-point lead just 6 minutes into the ballgame, 19-8, following a four-point play from Abejo, who was fouled in the act of converting a 3.

Five straight points from Obenza cut the lead down to six, 13-19, but a Mangubat trey and a layup from Gabisan brought the Junior Webmasters advantage back to 11, 24-13.

The Baby Panthers trailed by 9 points, 24-15, going into the second quarter which was opened with back-to-back treys from Mangubat and Cuyos to stretch the Junior Webmasters lead to 15 points, 30-15, with still nine minutes to go.

The Junior Webmasters lead ballooned to 18 points at the 5:09 mark on a basket from Cuyos but the Baby Panthers answered with 6 straight points, still they trailed by 8 points, 44-36, at the halftime break.

The Baby Panthers rallied in the third quarter and came as close as two points, 51-53, following 5 straight points from Obenza with a little more than 3 minutes left going into the final canto.

The start of the final quarter then became a nailbiting affair with the Baby Panthers eventually trailing by just a point, 60-61, at the 7:25 mark, but the Junior Webmasters fashioned a great comeback to once again to put a 10-point gap at 70-60 behind the efforts of Abejo, Gabisan and Mangubat.

However, the Baby Panthers refused to concede the game with Obenza once again towing them to just a point behind, 70-71, inside the three-minute mark.

But the last two minutes of the ballgame became a Mangubat-Abejo show with only Allen Dave Peligrino coming up with an answer for the Baby Panthers which was not enough and eventually sent the Junior Webmasters to the semifinal round.

The second quarterfinal match between the 4th ranked University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) Baby Jaguars and University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers will be played on Thursday, September 10 at the University of San Carlos (USC) gym.

UC, which is having their intramurals, will be using the New Cebu Coliseum thus the change in venue.

Game schedule 

September 10 at the USC Gym

5:15 PM – USJR vs UV (Juniors Quarterfinals)

6:45 PM – USPF vs SWU (Seniors)

 

Scores:

UC (87) – Mangubat 32, Abejo 16, Cuyos 15, Gabisan 14, Labrada 4, Malubay 3, Soco 2, Ecal 1, Umpad 0, Santome 0, Hemida 0, Cabansay 0.

USPF (76) – Obenza 27, Archival 16, Hernando 8, Justol 7, Macalam 6, Cometa 5, Peligrino 4, Lequin 3, Ybañez 0, Sandoval 0, Fermin 0.

Quarter Scores: 24-15; 44-36; 57-53; 87-76. – Rappler.com

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