Magis Eagles, ANS secondary hoop teams sweep Palaro pre-qualifying games

SHS-AdC basketball team players and coach are in a huddle during the Palarong Pambansa Pre-Qualifying Cluster Meet. | Photo from the Palarong Pambansa Pre-Qualifying Cluster Meet Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines —Central Visayas’ top bets Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles and Abellana National School (ANS) swept all their scheduled matches to emerge on top of the secondary basketball 5×5 in the ongoing Palarong Pambansa Pre-Qualifying Cluster Meet on Friday, June 16, 2023, at the SHS-AdC campus in Mandaue City.

The Magis Eagles and ANS have officially qualified for the Palarong Pambansa in Marikina this July under Central Visayas or Region 7. 

READ: Magis Eagles exit NBTC natl. finals vs. NU-Nazareth Bullpups in grueling 2 OT semifinals loss

The Magis Eagles, the reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) high school basketball champs and semifinalists of the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals, won all their three scheduled games in the pre-qualifying cluster meet.

They beat Western Visayas (Region 6) 107-95, and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), 87-69, on day one last Thursday.

They wrapped up their impressive campaign at their home court in Canduman with a lopsided win against Eastern Visayas (Region 8), 102-77. 

Meanwhile, ANS, the reigning Batang Pilipino Basketball League (BPBL) girls under-18 national champions also put on a dominating performance to clinch the Palaro slot. 

They beat Western Visayas 81-60, in their last remaining game on Friday, while they thrashed Eastern Visayas 79-57 and the Zamboanga Peninsula, 104-30, both on day one. 

READ: CVIRAA elementary basketball team demolishes foes, advances to Palarong Pambansa

ANS girls’ basketball team. | Photo from the Palarong Pambansa Pre-Qualifying Cluster Meet Facebook page

Day 2 slump 

In volleyball, Central Visayas’ squads had contrasting fates in their respective campaigns. 

The secondary boys’ team manned by the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Baby Panthers survived a five-set thriller against Eastern Visayas, 23-25,  25-21, 20-25, 27-25, and 15-11, at their homecourt in USP-F Lahug campus.

The Baby Panthers will compete in the finals tomorrow with their opponent yet to be determined as the matches are still happening as of this writing. 

However, Central Visayas’ three other volleyball teams in the secondary girls, elementary boys, and elementary girls lost their crucial matches which eliminated them from qualifying for the Palarong Pambansa. 

In the elementary boys, Central Visayas lost to Zamboanga Peninsula, 22-25, 21-25, while the elementary girls bowed down to Eastern Visayas, 19-24,14-25. 

Central Visayas’secondary girls team also exited the competition after losing to Eastern Visayas, 20-25, 5-24, and 24-26. 

Despite the strings of losses, Central Visayas’ other teams racked up huge wins to qualify for the finals. 

Region 7 big wins

Its secondary girls’ softball team routed Zamboanga Peninsula, 11-6, at the USP-F Lahug field. 

Meanwhile, Central Visayas’ secondary girls 3×3 basketball team and secondary boys’ sepak takraw team defeated Western Visayas’ squads. 

Central Visayas’ 3×3 girls team beat Western Visayas,21-17, while the sepak takraw trio edged Western Visayas,2-1. 

Also, the secondary girls’ futsal team of Central Visayas beat Zamboanga Peninsula, 15-4.

The 3×3 basketball, sepak takraw, and futsal competitions are held at the SHS-AdC Canduman campus. 

Over at the Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) football field, the elementary and secondary football squads both manned by DBTC had opposite outcomes in their respective matches. 

The elementary squad blanked Western Visayas, 5-0, but its secondary division team hit a brick wall after absorbing a 1-1 draw versus Eastern Visayas. 

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