CEBU, Philippines — The two-time defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles kept their grandslam bid alive with an 80-65 thrashing of the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers in Game 2 of the best-of-three juniors division finals of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 23 Men's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, December 13, at the Cebu Coliseum.
After an ice-cold performance in the series opener, Jared Bahay showed why he's the country's top high school prospect by unloading 17 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth period capped by a booming 3-pointer that gave the Magis Eagles their largest lead at 18 points.
The big revelation for the Magis Eagles, however, was Froiland Maglasang, who charted 16 points in an explosive performance that caught the Baby Lancers in complete surprise.
Jelomar Rota and RJ Dacalos also figured prominently with 23 markers in between them as the Magis Eagles lived and fight for another day after falling down, 54-62, in last Monday's Game 1.
After a close battle in the first half, the Magis Eagles pulled away for a 15-point advantage, 60-45, with less than two minutes remaining in the third period.
The Baby Lancers could only trim the deficit down to eight, 56-64, as Bahay, Dacalos, and Alden Cainglet masterminded a searing 16-6 run that catapulted the Magis Eagles to an imposing 80-62 bulge on a long 3-pointer by Bahay with 2:26 left in the contest.
That completely knocked the lights out of the Baby Lancers.
The Magis Eagles and the Baby Lancers will settle their unfinished business once and for all in the deciding Game 3 scheduled on Friday, December 15.