UV nails back-to-back SBP Visayas titles

POTOTAN, ILOILO, Philippines — The University of the Visayas leaned on Neil John Bernante’s triple with four seconds left in the game to overcome St. John’s Institute of Bacolod, 40-35, and bag its second straight SBP division title at the Visayas Regional Finals of the 34th SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo. .

Meanwhile, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu settled for second place in the Passerelle division, bowing to champion HERCOR College of Roxas, 68-88.

With the game tied at 35-all, Bernante swished a triple with four seconds left for a 38-35 lead. This was UV’s second straight clutch triple with under two minutes remaining.  With St. John’s leading 35-32, Denver Bisnar scored his only points of the game, a clutch triple that tied the game at 35-all.

UV actually had the upperhand for most of the game, leading 9-5, 22-19 and 26-20 through the first three periods. St. John’s went hot from the three-point line in the fourth period, tying the game at 30-all on a 10-4 run that included two triples.

After John Carl Baring gave UV the lead at 32-30, Jose Miguel Sy hit another triple to give St. John’s a 33-32 lead. Santino Loretizo made it 35-32 for the Bacolod champions with 2:42, shifting the momentum of the game to the Bacolod champions’ side as UV fired blanks.

However, this would be St. John’s’s last stand, paving the way for UV’s reply of the two straight triples of Bisnar and Bernante plus an insurance lay-up after UV thwarted St. John’s last offensive play.

John Louie Bual led UV with 13 points. Bernante and Baring had six points apiece. Karl John Agravante had 13 points to lead St. John’s Institute.

UV will move on to the national finals in Roxas City on November 23-24.

In the Passerelle division finals, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu crumbled to the endgame  onslaught of HERCOR after a tight game in the first three periods.

HERCOR enjoyed a hot start, taking a 24-12 lead at the end of the first period. The Cebu champions bounced back in the second period as Michael Asoro Jr. poured in 17 points in a rally that saw them overtake HERCOR, 39-35 at halftime.

HERCOR returned the favor in the third period, building a 59-55 lead going into the fourth period. HERCOR jumped to a 65-58 lead to start the fourth period but SHS-Ateneo rallied to slice the lead to 65-62, the closest it would get. Kent Gaitan then drilled a triple that launched a 7-0 run for a 72-62 lead, 5:10 left in the game.

As SHS-Ateneo closed in at 72-64, HERCOR stepped on the gas anew to increase the lead to 81-66, 1:47 remaining, ignited by yet another trey by Gaitan.

Joshua Mainar, who gave the Cebu champions problems with this speed and leadership, led HERCOR with 19 points. John Lloyd Ubas had 15 while Eden Aldaba had 12. Michael Asoro led SHS-Ateneo with 23 points while Jared Bahay had 14.

In the game for third place of the SBP division, Hua Siong College of Iloilo outsteadied Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion of Roxas, 46-39. University of St. La Salle-Bacolod took third place in the Passerelle division as it defeated defending champion St. Robert’s International Academy of Iloilo, 63-53.