UV claws back from 11-pt 4th quarter deficit to beat Ateneo de Cebu in Game 1 of NBTC Finals
Game today
(Minglanilla Sports Complex)
2:30 p.m. – UV vs Ateneo de Cebu
The University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers razed a 19-point second half deficit and stunned the heavily favored Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, 82-80, in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals series of the 2017 SM-National Basketball Training Center Cebu Tournament, yesterday at the Capitol Parish Gym.
Showing a renewed commitment to defense on top of the usual offensive brilliance from star forward Jancork Cabahug, UV did not blink in the face of an 11-point fourth period deficit to grab the win and come within a victory away from putting an end to the six-year dominance of the Magis Eagles of this tournament.
Cabahug, the burly but light-footed dynamo of the Baby Lancers finished with 26 points, nine in the fourth period, including a spinning lay-up that put them up, 81-78, with less than two minutes left.
JJ Rosete added 12 while Beirn Laurente chipped in 10 in the hotly contested match. UV will try to complete the sweep of Ateneo de Cebu in Game Two, today at 2:30 p.m. at the Minglanilla Sports Complex.
“I didn’t have any special instructions for the boys. I just told them to buckle down on defense. I even gave them free reign on offense, so long as they worked hard on the other side of the floor,” said UV head coach Jun Pepito.
The Magis Eagles were rolling behind the hot shooting of Andrew Velasco who scored seven straight to put them up, 56-37. However, disaster struck later in that period as Velasco failed to finish the mact after falling hard on the parquette floor and suffered a deep gash in the chin.
UV quickly took advantage as it chopped the deficit, 62-68, heading to the final stanza.
The Magis Eagles stemmed the tide as little-used John Benedict Yu pumped in seven straight points to give them a 77-66 advantage. But the Baby Lancers charged back and fired in 11 unanswered points to tie the match at 77-all, 3:09 left.
Jeremy Nacua gave Ateneo de Cebu its last taste of the lead with a free-throw but UV’s Jhiey Paraldo finally put UV ahead, 79-78, with a hard drive along the baseline. Cabahug then padded their lead to three, 81-78, with a foray down the middle that saw shed his defender with a nifty spin move before banking the ball in.
Ateneo de Cebu had several chances to come closer but Colonia missed four straight free-throws before finally making two to pull them within one, 80-81, time down to 42.7 ticks. They even had a shot to regain the lead but Errol Pastor’s outlet pass got picked off, leading to a free-throw by UV’s Froiland Maglasang for an 82-80 Baby Lancer lead, 15.3 seconds to go.
The Magis Eagles had the chance to tie the contest but Alex Visser missed two gift shots with just 1.4 ticks left.
Tempers flared even after the match during the traditional congratulatory rounds as Ateneo de Cebu alleged that Laurente punched Renzo Calumpang in the stomach. Cooler heads, though, prevailed as both parties regained their composure.
Velasco paced Ateneo de Cebu with 26.
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