THE CEBU Provincial Sports Commission (CPSC) and the commissioners of the ongoing Cebu Governor’s Cup 2018 Inter-Cities/Municipalities Basketball Tournament have decided to hold the replay of the Naga Electrifiers vs. Minglanilla Archangels game on June 7 at a neutral venue, which will be the Cebu Coliseum.
CPSC Executive Director Atty. Ramil Abing announced the decision on Wednesday after both the Archangels and the Electrifiers agreed on the decision.
But the initial plan to replay only the extra five-minute extension period was changed as both teams will have to start from scratch and play the full game instead.
The replay was set because both team’s encounter last April 23 at the Enan Chiong Sports Complex in the City of Naga ended in controversial fashion.
The Electrifiers went on to win that game, 93-91, via a buzzer-beating three pointer by Justin Atilano with 0.7 seconds left in overtime.
But Minglanilla put the game under protest after finding out, after a review of the game tape, that there were six players inside the court for Naga in the final seconds of overtime.
Organizers of the tournament investigated and found out that what Minglanilla officials were complaining about was actually true. Because of this, they decided to have both teams play the game again to officially settle the outcome.
The game is crucial for both teams since they will be fighting for the remaining quarterfinal slot in the South Division.
The Archangels and the Electrifiers are in the South Division Bracket 1 together with Talisay City, which has already taken the first quarterfinal slot in the bracket for finishing as the top team.
Only the top two per bracket make it to the next round.
Those who signed the resolution to come up with the final verdict were Abing, Governor’s Cup commissioners Van Halen Parmis, Albert Allocillo, Lou Regidor, Felix Donbel Belano, and Laurence Merced, Deputy Commissioners Julian Macoy and Ed Aguelo, and Chief Commissioner Danny Duran.
Aside from Talisay, those who made it to the quarterfinals in the south from other brackets are Argao and Sibonga from bracket 2, Alegria and Ginatilan for bracket 1, and Barili and Dumanjug for bracket 4.
In the north division, quarterfinalists are Consolacion and Mandaue City for bracket 1, San Francisco and Borbon for bracket 2, Tuburan and Balamban for bracket 3, and Medellin and Bantayan Island for bracket 4.