Benedicto College Cheetahs players and coaching staff bow their heads to pray after narrowly beating the CRMC Mustangs. | 📸 : Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Benedicto College Cheetahs found their hero in Serge Gabines who made the game-winning three-point shot to beat the Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges (CRMC) Mustangs, 69-67, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball, on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.
The Cheetahs were trailing, 66-67, with five seconds remaining when Gabines was left wide open at the right wing, giving him enough time to fire the trey that lifted his team past the gutsy Mustangs.
READ: Cesafi 2023: Cobras down Cheetahs, 60-55, in hard fought game on Sunday
Cheeetahs now 2-2
The nail-biting victory for the Cheetahs improved their record to two wins and two losses, while the Mustangs dropped to a 1-4 (win-loss) card in the ongoing tournament.
Before earning their hard-fought win, the Cheetahs put themselves in some sort of déjà vu after their 13-point lead, 51-38, in the start of the second half was erased by the Mustangs in the final period.
READ: Cesafi: USPF pulls off come-from-behind win against Benedicto College
Second half collapse
Their second half collapse started when they entered the final period, clinging to a six-point lead, 55-49.
However, the Mustangs slowly chipped the lead away from the efforts of James Gelig, Redjhee Recimiento, and team captain Paulo Dalumpines who just served a one-game suspension from two consecutive unsportsmanlike fouls in their previous game.
The Cheetahs’ situation was reminiscent of their previous defeat in the hands of the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Panthers last October 10, 2023, 65-74, where they were leading by double digits, but caved-in in crunchtime.
READ: Keaton Taburnal of CRMC Mustangs suspended for two games by Cesafi
Trail by 3 going into final canto
This time, they were trailing the Mustangs in a three-point deficit, 55-58, in the final period.
Despite the odds, the Cheetahs, found a way to answer every basket the Mustangs made, keeping them close behind with one point, 66-67, with 31.5 seconds left.
CRMC had a chance to seal the game, but a costly turnover from Dalumpines, shifted the momentum to Benedicto College’s side with 16 ticks remaining in the game.
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Gabines game-winning three pointer
Gabines then sank the game-winning trey, 69-67, with five seconds remaining.
The Mustangs were able to cross the ball from half court, but ended up turning the ball over again, sealing their heartbreaking defeat.
Gabines ended with nine points, six of which, including the game-winning trey scored in the final period.
Den Rick Orgong paced the Cheetahs with 16 points, while Junnil Bulan had 11 markers, and Kenneth Babalcon added 10 points in their win.
Meanwhile, Recimiento scored 15 points, while Gelig had 14, and Dalumpines with 10 points in the Mustangs’ losing efforts.