Magis Eagles dodge CIT-U bullet to strengthen bid for Top 2 spot

The Grand Slam-seeking Sacred

CEBU, Philippines —  Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles escaped with a thrilling 71-67 victory over the upset-seeking Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Baby Wildcats to bolster their bid for the top two spot and the twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 24 basketball tournament on Saturday, November 9, at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Magis Eagles were on the brink of what could be a disappointing loss when they trailed by five, 62-67, in the final two minutes of play.

But the Magis Eagles showed the heart that made them back-to-back champions by closing the match with a decisive 9-0 blitz to pull the rug from under the baffled Baby Wildcats.

Lian Kent Basa had a breakout performance for the Magis Eagles with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and a block.

Rodolfo Froilan Maglasang was similarly impressive, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals as the Magis Eagles joined the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars atop the juniors division leaderboard with identical 7-1 records.

It was a sorry loss for the Baby Wildcats, who enjoyed a double-digit edge, 38-28, early in the third frame only to suffer a huge endgame collapse that spelled their doom.

Kieff Russel Suarez fired 23 points with two rebounds and three assists, while Christian Joseph Bustillo added 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals but to no avail as the Baby Wildcats fell to 5-4 after missing a crucial win that could have bolstered their semifinal chances. — (FREEMAN)