UNITEC Pipes proved steadier down the stretch and outlasted Kalsi, 80-75, to claim the championship in the Cebu Architects Basketball Club Corporate Cup last Sunday at the Benedicto College Gym along A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City.
Brian Acebedo filled up the stat sheet for the champions as he finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, five steals and two assists to be named Finals MVP.
The two teams were neck-and-neck with Unitec extending its precarious 35-34 halftime lead to a 57-51 advantage heading to the final canto.
It was then when Unitec stepped on the gas and raised the lead to double digits behind Acebedo, who scored the bulk of his points in the final frame.
Kalsi refused to quit and trimmed the deficit to just three, 74-71, before Philip Lim came up with a clutch, high-looping shot that kissed the top of the glass before dropping into the basket to raise Unitec’s lead to five with under two minutes left.
Lim also came up with a huge defensive stand, blocking the layup of Kalsi’s Mike Cinco in the dying seconds to preserve the win.
Kim Rebosura added 16 points and four steals for Unitec before sitting out most of the second half due to an injury to his leg. Big man Mark Capili also had 10 points, seven boards and two steals.
Carlos Baltar led Kalsi with 17 points and 10 rebounds. However, Cinco, the team’s leading scorer, finished with just 10 markers on a woeful 3-of-17 clip from the field.