CEBU, Philippines – The University of San Carlos (USC) stopped the winning tracks of the University of the Visayas (UV), 33-21, to claim solo leadership in the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) division of the BEST Center SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament sponsored by Milo.
In the other games, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) routed University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR), 48-18, to tie UV at second place, while Cebu Eastern College (CEC) broke into the winning column with a 50-19 demolition of the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC).
USC took a 13-7 lead after one quarter, but UV pulled within four points at halftime, 17-13. Sporting a shaky 21-17 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Baby Warriors limited UV to only four points in the final period while going to the combination of Gadwin Alfeche, Neon Chavez and Jholo Pakanna who had four points each in the stretch to break away for their fourth straight win.
Chavez led USC with eight points. With the win, USC sits at the top of the standings with 4-0 record, followed by UV (3-1), SHS-AdC (3-1), CEC (1-3), USJR (1-3) and DBTC (0-4).
Crucial games ahead will be the CEC-USJR battle for the fourth spot in the semifinals and the USC-SHS-AdC game where the Magis Eagles must win by a double digit margin to force a triple tie for first place and grab the top spot in the playoffs.
In the Passerelle division, CEC cruised past USJ-R, 68-40 to tie SHS-AdC for the leadership of Group A with identical 2-0 records. Now assured of making it to the cross-over semifinals, both teams will break the tie this weekend to determine the top two seeds in the group.
In Group B of the Passerelle division, UV sits at the top followed by USC and CIT-U who face off against each other for second place in the standings.
In games of the CYBL D-League, USC South/St. Joseph and USC South/St. Arnold recorded their third straight wins to top their respective groups in the SBP division.
USC South/St. Joseph stopped Don Bosco/Magone, 31-28, in Group B play, while USC South/St. Arnold defeated Don Bosco/Savio, 57-27 in a Group A game. Both USC South teams are now assured of the top seeding in the SBP division. USC North-C trounced NISSI Academy, 56-29, to grab second place in Group A.
In D-League Passerelle games, USC North-C streaked to its third straight win in group play with a 59-45 win over USJR-B. USC North-B topped NISSI Academy, 37-23 to go 2-1, while SHS-AdC 2 improved to 1-2 with a 55-44 win over Don Bosco-B.
The games of the Milo-backed BEST Center SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament shift into high gear this weekend. Crucial matches will determine the teams that make it to the playoffs. The semifinals will be knockout affair with winners going straight to the finals.
The Cebu champions will then play in the Visayas Regional Finals set on Nov. 16-19 in Iloilo City. – (PR) (THE FREEMAN)