UP-Cebu Fighting Maroons players and coaching staff. CDN Digital photo | Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons logged their first-ever win in the Cesafi men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, October 15, 2023, after beating the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Cobras, 53-50, at the Cebu Coliseum.
UP-Cebu of head coach Rommel Rasmo captured its first win in the Cesafi with the help of Harvey Caño, who finished with a game-high 18 points.
The Fighting Maroons are now 1-4 (win-loss) in the Cesafi tournament.
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In logging its first win in the Cesafi, UP-Cebu had to fight in out with the 2019 champion Cobras in the final canto.
And fight they did as the Fighting Maroons outscored the Cobras, 17-10, in the final frame to chalk up the win.
Caño led the UP-Cebu attack in the fourth, scoring eight of his total output in that stretch.
SWU-Phinma was still leading, 48-44, with 4:20 left in the game but Caño made a freedhtrow and Miguel Dosayla scored a basket to put UP-Cebu within striking range, 48-47.
The Cobras managed to stretch their lead to three, 50-47, with 1:41 left from Tracy Carl Dadang’s layup.
JZ Dizon was quick to retaliated with a transition layup plus a foul, putting UP-Cebu back to within one, 49-50. He failed to tie the game after missing his bonus free throw.
LEAD CHANGE
The Cobras had a chance to extend their lead to a two-possession ball game, but Rey James Enriquez missed a crucial triple.
UP-Cebu quickly secured a rebound from the missed shot, resulting to another transition layup from Caño to put his team ahead 51-50, with 58 seconds left.
SWU-Phinma had another opportunity to regain the lead, but Kyle Maglinte forced a fadeaway jumper from a timeout while being double-teamed.
Niño Sarol was there to quickly grab the rebound for UP-Cebu from Maglinte’s missed shot with 42 seconds remaining. SWU-Phima was forced to give up a foul, which meant freebies since the Cobras were over the foul limit.
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UP-Cebu could’ve stretched its lead to three but Sarol missed both charity shots.
SWU-Phinma secured a rebound from Sarol’s missed shots, giving the Cobras a golden opportunity to take the lead with 24 seconds left.
But SWSU-Phinma’s Dadang missed his tear drop.
UP’s Dizon burned the remaining seconds before finally deciding to drive to the basket but he badly missed his shot. Fortunately, his teammate, Aaron Kress, was there to tap the ball, but it went to the hands of SWU-Phinma’s Rey James Enriquez.
Sarol, though, was quick to steal the ball from Enriquez’s hands. The loose ball then went to Caño, who easily scored a layup to peg the final count.
With time running out, the Cobras’ Kyle Maglinte desperately threw a shot but only hit the iron, sealing UP-Cebu’s first win in the Cesafi men’s basketball tournament.
/bmjo
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