Neon Chavez of USPF drops a pass to Ian Paquibot during their Cesafi Season 24 game against USC. | Photo from Sugbuanong Kodaker
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers avenged their previous defeat against the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, securing a 60-53 victory in a grueling back-and-forth battle in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 24 men’s basketball tournament on September 24 at the Cebu Coliseum.
It was sweet revenge for the Panthers after they narrowly lost to the Warriors in last year’s third-place playoff.
Adding to the drama, USC was awarded their third-place trophy before the tip-off, which only intensified USPF’s resolve to secure a win.
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Demonstrating their never-say-die spirit, the Panthers executed a signature come-from-behind performance, led by sophomore Peter John Peteros.
Peteros narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with a game-high 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, along with nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
The match was a tooth-and-nail battle that saw 15 lead changes and nine deadlocks.
“Based on our tune-up games, they thought we would stick with our man-to-man defense, which is our primary strategy. However, we adjusted to a zone defense in the final quarter, and they were unable to adjust. This allowed us to seize the momentum,” said head coach Alan Cabatingan.
“Our core of six players can’t carry the load alone. The bench stepped up and gave their all. We remain hopeful about making the top four.”
Big man Paul Apolonio made a huge impact, finishing a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Veteran guard and team captain Neon Chavez also added 13 points to the effort.
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In contrast, the Warriors struggled to find consistent offense with only James Gica reaching double figures with 12 points. Center Real Aureo contributed nine points but was hindered by foul trouble throughout the game.
USC held a narrow lead in the final quarter, going up 49-44 after Gica sank back-to-back long-range shots.
However, the Panthers, known for their late-game resurgence, began to chip away at the lead.
As the clock wound down, Apolonio tied the game at 51 with a crucial basket.
Former Southwestern University (SWU) Phinma Cobra John Ornopia briefly restored the Warriors’ lead with a jumper, making it 53-51.
USPF quickly responded, as Peteros drained a three-pointer to put the Panthers back in front, 54-53, with three minutes remaining.
Jasper Lumingkit extended the lead to three points with a layup following a defensive stop, making it 56-53 with 1:39 left on the clock.
In the closing moments, USC faltered on offense, committing critical turnovers and missing three-point attempts from Gica and another ex-SWU-Phinma Cobra RJ Enriquez.
With a minute left, Chavez added a layup, stretching the lead to 58-53, and subsequently split a pair of free throws for a 59-53 advantage, exploiting on USC being in the penalty.
Lumingkit then secured a defensive rebound following Enriquez’s missed triple and was fouled, splitting his free throws to seal the Panthers’ victory.