Ateneo de Cebu wins Milo SBP regional title in Iloilo

SHS-Ateneo with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas board member Robert Uy (third from right), BEST Center founder Nic Jorge (second from right) and SBP Passerelle Commissioner Bryan Tabañag (left).
contributed

THE SBP squad of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu will be coming home as champions after they bagged the SBP crown in the 32nd SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament in the Visayas Regional Finals with a 57-43 victory over St. John’s Institute (SJI) of Bacolod last Sunday at the Iloilo Sports Complex in Iloilo City.

Ateneo de Cebu banked on a great start to establish a sizable lead and then ended with a 13-2 bang to upend SJI and earn a spot in the national finals this December.

Kristian Porter sparked the Cebuanos’ uprising in the first by scoring 11 points to push them ahead, 18-6. Jared Bahay took over in the second, pumping in 12 markers to extend Ateneo de Cebu’s lead to 30-14.

SJI fought back in the ensuing canto and sliced Ateneo de Cebu’s lead to seven, 34-27, but Dylan Lim played fireman and briefly doused the raging fire with four straight points to give his squad a 38-27 lead heading to the final canto.

SJI continued on the comeback trail and was within eight, 30-38, when Ateneo de Cebu stamped its class with a huge 13-2 blast fueled by Porter, Bahay, Joash Cutamora and Vince Suico to give the team its biggest lead of the game at 51-32.

Porter led Ateneo de Cebu in scoring with 19 points while Bahay backed him up with 14.

Dylan Despi and Christian Yap were the high-point men for SJI with 12 and 11, respectively.

In the Passerelle division, Hua Siong College of Iloilo edged Bacolod Tay Tung High School, 57-53, to earn the crown.

The University of San Carlos settled for third place after it beat HERCOR College of Roxas, 45-26.