Padillo, the hero as USC takes MLKP cage crown

Giovanni Padillo of the University of San Carlos let loose a desperate, off-balanced jumper with a prayer with 1.8 second left in overtime.

Luckily, and perhaps to Padillo's surprise, the ball gently swished through the rim, lifting the Baby Warriors to a dramatic 70-68 win over the USP Baby Panthers in their knockout Game 3 to win the championship of the BAP Visayas/MLSDF ML Kwarta Padala Cup Inter-School Developmental Tournament on Thursday at the Consolacion Sports Complex.

When the prospect of winning went bleak for USC after top gunners Kevin Jake Arriesgado, Francis Luigi Bercede and John Paul Lao fouled out, Padillo, Adrian Alforque, and Wesley Paul Te provided a spark of hope for the Baby Warriors as they delivered when they were needed most.

The Baby Warriors was dealt with a crushing blow after Bercede, their pillar of strength that night, was taken out of the game when he suffered leg cramps just after scoring a basket that put USC back in front, 62-61, with 2:28 remaining in the extension.

Instead of getting discouraged, the USC Baby Warriors fought with a renewed challenge with Alforque and Te hitting consecutive baskets to pad their lead to four, 67-63, with 18.8 seconds to go.

But the USP Baby Panthers also flashed tremendous courage with Franz Dion Dysam inciting a 5-1 rally by his lonesome to tie the score at 68-all with only 10 seconds left in the game.

In the ensuing play, it was Padillo's turn to prove the old adage that miracles do happen if you believe in it.

With time winding down, Padillo was left with no option than to quickly flick a leaning jumper a little over the keyhole before a porous double-teaming defense by the USP Baby Panthers. Fortune smiled at Padillo as the ball went in, inciting the entire Baby Warriors and their supporters into frenzied celebration.

The USP Baby Panthers actually had a chance to send the game into second overtime, but fell short when Earven Ferraren failed to catch a lob pass from a teammate at the inboud. USC's Robert Gines Codilla picked up the ball to settle the outcome.

Padillo and Bercede finished with 15 points each for Baby Warriors, while Adrian Alforque chipped in 14 markers. It was a time explosion for Padillo and Alforquez as Arriesgado was held off to only four points.

Ferraren topped USP with a game-high 16 points, including a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime at 55-all, while Dysam added 15 and John Paul Ybañez donated 10 points in a losing cause.

The scores:

USC (70) - Padillo 15, Bercede 15, Alforque 14, Te 8, Codilla 6, Morales 5, Arriesgado 4, Lao 2, Magat 1

USP (68) - Ferraren 16, Dysam 15, Ybañez 10, Hermosa 8, Loon 6, Aligno 5, Tiro 4, Ramos 2, Muñez 2

Quarterscores:11-17, 26-23, 38-45, 55-all, 70-68OT