Sunstar Cebu and CCTN’s quarterfinals game in the Press Freedom Week (CPFW) Basketball Tournament. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The defending champions XFM Cebu Ka Tropa, along with powerhouse squads dySS/GMA 7 Kapuso and dyHP/Radio Mindanao Network (RMN), punched their tickets to the semifinals of the Press Freedom Week (CPFW) Basketball Tournament in a dominant fashion Friday night, August 30, at the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Gymnasium.
XFM Cebu, the reigning champions, flexed their might with an emphatic 87-57 rout over Bombo Radyo/dyLA, dyKC, securing their place in the final four.
Meanwhile, dyHP/RMN put on a lopsided outing, stifling Brigada News FM in a 67-43 victory.
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The Kapuso squad of dySS/GMA 7 also showcased their offensive firepower, cruising past MyTVCebu Kauban with an 83-50 victory.
All three teams leveraged their twice-to-beat advantages to secure their semifinal spots with ease.
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In the night’s most intense battle, SunStar Cebu stayed alive with a gritty 41-35 win over Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) 47.
Do-or-die showdown
SunStar’s victory erased CCTN 47’s twice-to-beat advantage, forcing a do-or-die showdown for the last semifinal berth in Bracket B.
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The stage is now set for a semifinals clash, as XFM Cebu prepares to face off against dyHP/RMN.
Meanwhile, dySS/GMA 7 awaits the winner of the SunStar vs. CCTN 47 game to complete the semifinals lineup.
The winners of the semifinals will advance to the winner-take-all championship game, while the losers will battle it out for third place.
The tournament, supported by Aboitiz Power, CEC Board of Trustees member Jefferson Go, and CEC sports coordinator John Maraat, offers a cash prize of P8,000 for the champion team. The runner-up will take home P5,000, and the third-place finisher will receive P3,000.
All other participating teams will be awarded P1,500 each as a consolation prize.