The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons barged into the win column with a 73-69 upset of the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 25 basketball tournament on Tuesday, September 30, at the Cebu Coliseum.
Andrew Padilla shined the brightest with 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists while Brandon Sainz and Wenraye Sarol combined for 22 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists to help the Fighting Maroons of coach Rommel Rasmo snap a three-game jinx.
UP Cebu squandered a nine-point lead late in the third quarter as the Webmasters staged a spirited endgame fightback to seize a 65-60 edge at the last three-minute mark of the contest.
But the Fighting Maroons countered with a decisive 10-1 blitz to regain the upper hand, 70-66, in the final 64 seconds.
The Webmasters threatened one last time at 69-71 on a 3-pointer by Ricofer Sordilla as Sarol scored on a crucial layup with only five ticks left in the game clock to seal the deal for the Fighting Maroons.
Ray Charles Libatog bagged 20 points, six rebounds and one assist while Sordilla had 13 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal but their efforts went to waste as the Webmasters faltered for the first time after a rousing 2-0 start.
In high school division, Mart Justine Padilla fired 23 points with five rebounds, one assist and a spectacular six steals as the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Blue Dragons nailed their first victory with a 67-56 scorching of the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) Baby Webmasters.
Kenneth Robert Fuller delivered a double-double of 16 and 12 rebounds with four assists and three steals for the Dragons, who sprinted to a 14-point advantage, 35-21, midway in the second quarter.
UCLM pulled within just two points, 49-51, in the final five minutes but the Dragons closed the match with a searing 16-7 run to secure a double-digit triumph.
Dan Mitchell Ferraren scattered 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists but to no avail as UCLM tasted its first defeat.