PhilHealth edges IBP in Customs hoopla

CEBU, Philippines - PhilHealth squeezed out a 79-74 win over the Integrated Bar of the Philippine-Cebu Province/Lawyers for PJ in the Cebu Customs Invitational Tournament 2013 at the Benedicto College Gym.

It was a nip and tuck affair for the entire game with PHIC’s three-point shooting turning out to be the heart-breaking daggers for the IBP side.

After IBP took the lead for the last time at 72-71 with 2:25 left in the game, Stephen Yap drilled his third trey of the game for a 74-72 lead with two minutes left.

PhilHealth then ran off five more unanswered points for a 79-72 lead with 1:07 remaining. Yap also had a triple earlier in the fourth quarter when IBP threatened to break away. PHIC had a total of seven triples,  all of them coming at crucial stages of the game.

In the other games, the MJDL Titans, Cebu Interport Users and Bureau of Internal Revenue scored their first wins of the tournament. MJDL subdued CCBI, 76-56, while CIPU toppled Global, 77-66. BIR bounced back from its opening day loss by outscoring ALIN, 85-74.

The Cebu Customs Invitational Tournament 2013 is a gathering of a mix of basketball enthusiasts who work and  transact with the Bureau of Customs (BOC).  Tournament chairman is BOC Deputy Collector Bingo Matugas. (FREEMAN)