CESAFI Juniors Division Final: Baby Lancers vs. Wildkittens

Defending champion the University of the Visayas Baby Lancers returned to the finals yesterday after knocking down no. 1 seed University of Southern Philippines Baby Panthers, 64-60, in the semifinals playoffs of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) at the USC gym.

The Baby Lancers will face no. 2 seed Cebu Institute of Technology Wildkittens who booked a finals seat for the first time at the expense of the University of San Carlos Baby Warriors, 61-59.

The CESAFI best-of-three finals between UV and UC in the collegiate division and UV against CIT in the secondary division will start tomorrow at the UV gym.

The Baby Lancers surprised the Baby Panthers with a more solid defense to dismantle an 11-point deficit, 53-42 in the fourth period, scoring a 9-2 run to come within two, 51-53, still 4:57 left in the ballgame.

Actually, the Baby Panthers have the chance to grab the lead in the final 40 seconds but Philip Muñez was not aware of a pass from Francis Dysam forcing a turnover. They were down, 60-61.

Quinto Brian Hereula and Lucky Pitogo each scored 16 points for the Baby Lancers while Dysam and Dennis Ferraren had 10 points each to lead the Baby Panthers.

In the other semifinals playoff, the Wildkittens escaped with a two-point win behind the unexpected showdown of Rein Carlo Augusto who scored the go-ahead basket, 60-59. He also halved his charities in the final 6.3 seconds.

The Wildkittens trailed in the first period,, 19-12 but they kust kept at pace with the Baby Warriors until they grabbed the lead at the half, 38-31 and went on to control the game starting in the third period.

They lost the lead momentarily when Giovanni Padillo scored with a follow-up from a split charities by John Rafael Flanco, 59-58, still 2:10 to go in the fourth period.

After a series of missed attempts from both camps, Augusto scored as the Wildkittens grabbed the lead, 42.9 left in the ballgame.

Wildkittens points guard Elizer del Mar, the shortest among the 10 players inside the floor, led his team with 18 points while Clayton Labagala had 11 points including one crucial triple midway through the fourth period that gave his team a 52-48 edge.

First Game: (Juniors)

UV (64) - Pitogo 16, Heruela 16, Mercader 11, Cabahug 10, Cañada 3, Avila 2, Lao 2, Belocura 2, Gonzaga 1

USP (60) - Dysam 10, Ferraren 10, Hermosa 8, Aligno 6, Ybañez 5, Tiro 4, ,Muñez 4, Loon 3, Sabillo 2

Second Game

CIT (61) - Del Mar 18, Labagala 11, Alvarez 9, Augusto 8, Diez 6, Diaz 4, Cañete 3, Ybañez 2, Isidto 2

USC (59) - Alforque 16, Arriesgado 11, Delos Reyes 9, Padillo 5, Magat 4, Codilla 4, Lao 4, Flanco 3, Bercede 3