UC barges into finals with an upset win against twice-to-beat USP-F

The UC Webmasters players and coaching staff take time for a photo shoot as they savor their victory against USP-F and former’s first trip to the Cesafi men’s basketball finals. | Glendale G. Rosal

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters staged a massive upset against the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Panthers, 62-57, in their do-or-die semifinals match in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball hoop wars on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Webmasters will have to wait for the results of the other semifinals game between the UV Green Lancers and the USJ-R Jaguars. 

This will be UC’s first time to advance to the finals since 2017 in Cesafi men’s basketball tournament, and Kern Sesante’s first finals appearance as UC’s head coach. 

Last Thursday, the Webmasters narrowly beat the Panthers, 68-67, erasing the latter’s twice-to-beat advantage and to force today’s rubber match. 

Jasper Pacaña led the Webmasters with 15 points, 7 of which was tallied in the final period. Big man Marc Jhon Ecal had nine points, while Luigi Gabisan and Paul Galinato each tallied eight points. 

USP-F’s Rodelio Cauba 16-point outing along with Kent Gato and Aljie Mendez’s six points apiece was spoiled with the loss.

“Basically, we took it one game at a time. Wala namo githink ang twice-to-beat advantage sa USP-F, ” said Sesante. 

(Basically, we took it one game at a time. We did not think of the twice-to-beat advantage of USP-F.)

“Siguro ang pinakabiggest hurdle nga naovercome namo against USP-F ang ilang heart ug ilang hustle. I think mao nay pinakamain weapon sa USP-F.  Akong giingnan akong team that the only way to beat USP-F is to match their hustle and their big hearts, and we matched it plus, we executed our plays,” he said.

(Perhaps, our biggest hurdle was that we overcame their heart and their hustle. I think that is the main weapon of the USP-F. I told my team that the only way to beat USP-F is to match their hustle and their big hearts, and we matched it plus, we executed our plays.)

During the game, USP-F was leading by eight, 38-30, at the start of the second half, but UC put on a 14-point swing to grab the lead 44-42 heading into the final period. 

Both teams didn’t give an inch in the final period which resulted to multiple lead changes. 

USP-F led by one point, 50-49, midway in the final period when UC regained the lead,51-50, from Jhiey Paraldo’s jumper.

The Webmasters went on to stretching their lead to five after Galinato and Pacaña connived for a 4-0 burst, 55-50, with 3:29 remaining.

Despite the lead, UC was dealing with the penalty which sent Neon Chavez and Khadshein Paul Tagalog to the charity stripe on several occasions which helped USP-F pull to within one, 56-57 with a minute remaining.

Not to be outfought, Pacaña nailed a crucial three-point shot that gave UC a two possession lead, 60-56. 

Despite UC’s momentum, they committed a crucial foul sending Tagalog to the charity stripe and yielded one of his two free throws to cut the lead to just three, 57-60 with seven seconds remaining.

The Panthers had no other choice but to force a foul as time winded down, sending Pacaña to the free throw line, and who calmly sank both his attempts to seal UC’s hard-earned victory, 62-57. 

“We are prepared to give our best in the finals whichever team we’ll face. We prepared from day one. We all hope that our best is good enough to win the title,” Sesante concluded.

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