Kent Sanchez (left) of Tiger Ship Builders and Tommy Ugsimar (right) of BSL Hoops. | Photos from KCBL
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Tiger Ship Builders and BSL Hoops will face off in the highly anticipated Kingpin Cebu Basketball League (KCBL) Season 2 Finals after securing victories in their respective semifinal matchups last weekend at the Cebu City Sports Institute.
Tiger Ship Builders overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Oninz Trading, 90-80, while BSL Hoops edged out Chase Tower Runs, 78-72, in two hard-fought semifinal clashes that set the stage for an exciting Best-of-Three finals series.
Former CESAFI champion Kent Sanchez led the way for Tiger Ship Builders, delivering a standout performance with 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one block.
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Jude Betonio also made a significant impact, contributing 20 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and one block. Jeff Michael Gudes added 12 points as the team rallied in the final quarter, turning a 14-point deficit into a 10-point advantage, 85-75, to secure their place in the finals.
Tiger Ship Builders’ success was fueled by their ability to capitalize on turnovers, outscoring Oninz Trading 28-10 in points off turnovers. Their bench also played a crucial role, outscoring the opposing reserves 43-32, in what was otherwise a closely contested game.
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Oninz Trading’s Dave Butaya led his team with 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the Tiger Ship Builders’ surge.
BSL HOOPS VS CHASE TOWER RUNS
In the second semifinals game in the KCBL, BSL Hoops rode the hot hand of Tommy Spencer Ugsimar, who poured in 23 points, along with five assists, one rebound, and one steal to lead his team into the finals.
John Marlou Abella and Reouven Rama each added 12 points for BSL, helping the team withstand a strong effort from Chase Tower Runs.
Chase Tower Runs was led by former Cesafi standout Miguel Gastador, who matched Ugsimar with 23 points, while Jerome Napao contributed a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
But despite starting strong and leading 19-9 early in the game, Chase Tower Runs couldn’t maintain their momentum, with BSL Hoops taking a 51-45 lead after a series of lead changes and deadlocks.
BSL Hoops leaned heavily on their transition game, scoring 21 fast break points compared to just 10 from Chase Tower Runs. However, Chase Tower Runs dominated the boards, using their size advantage to score 18 second-chance points to BSL’s 8.
The Tiger Ship Builders and BSL Hoops will tip off their finals series on Saturday, October 26, at 7 p.m. Game 2 is set for Sunday, October 27, at the same time and venue, with a potential Game 3 scheduled for November 10, if necessary.