UC Webmasters | Photo by Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters overcame a gritty University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons, 85-81, in a lung-busting double-overtime showdown in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 24 on Saturday night, November 9, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Webmasters tightened their grip on the No. 1 spot in the team standings, improving their unbeaten record to six games while handing UP Cebu its fifth defeat in six games.
However, the win didn’t come easy for the heavily favored Webmasters as they endured 24 lead changes and 17 deadlocks in their grueling double-overtime game against the Fighting Maroons. The matchup was also the first this season to extend into two overtimes.
Big man Ray Charles Libatog anchored the Webmasters with a double-double, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks, asserting his dominance in the paint.
Jepherson Nonol orchestrated from the backcourt, contributing 17 points, six rebounds, and a steal, while sharpshooter Jasper Pacaña lit up the scoreboard with 14 points, connecting on 4-of-8 attempts from beyond the arc, including crucial back-to-back triples in the second overtime.
Luther Gabriel Leonard added a solid performance with 11 points and 10 rebounds, rounding out UC’s balanced scoring.
For UP Cebu, Matt Flores was a force to be reckoned with, finishing with a double-double of his own: 19 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and two assists. JZ Dizon added 18 points, six boards, and five assists, while AJ Delos Reyes chipped in 15 points, keeping the Fighting Maroons competitive against their formidable opponents.
The game began with UP Cebu catching UC off guard, racing to an early 6-0 lead and closing the first quarter with a 14-10 advantage. The Webmasters responded by rallying back to tie the game at 31-31 by halftime.
The intensity only ramped up in the second half, with both teams trading baskets, resulting in multiple lead changes.
With UP Cebu leading 65-63 late in the fourth, UC’s Leonard drove to the hoop but missed a tough layup, only for Libatog to clean up the miss with a critical putback, tying the game at 65-all and forcing overtime.
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In the first extra period, both teams struggled to score until Leonard finally broke the drought for UC, 67-65, after two and a half minutes.
UP Cebu’s Joshua Cabanlit calmly sank two free throws to tie it once more at 67-all. Libatog then nailed two free throws to put UC back ahead, 69-67, but Flores responded with a triple from the top of the key, putting UP Cebu ahead, 70-69, as the Cebu Coliseum erupted.
Both teams missed crucial shots as time wound down, and Nonol split his free throws to tie the game at 70-all, forcing a second overtime.
UP Cebu seemed to seize control early in the second overtime with a Delos Reyes triple, pulling ahead 73-70. But Pacaña answered with his own three-pointer to level the game again. Flores briefly restored UP’s lead with a layup, but Pacaña nailed another three from the wing to put UC back in front.
UC edged away with crucial baskets from Nonol and a powerful putback by Libatog, giving them an 80-76 cushion. UP Cebu misfired on key possessions, allowing Leonard to stretch UC’s lead to 82-76 with less than a minute to go.
Though UP’s Andrew Padilla sank two clutch free throws, Nonol sealed the victory for UC by hitting his own free throws with 16 seconds left, extending the lead to 84-78.
Dizon kept it interesting with a late three, trimming the lead to 84-81, but UC closed out the game from the line, courtesy of Nonol, securing an 85-81 victory as time expired.
Statistically, UC outperformed UP Cebu in nearly all departments despite the close game. They led in points off turnovers (15-9) and dominated in the shaded area, outscoring UP Cebu 40-12, even in the absence of their ace rebounder Steven Ursal, who was nursing a knee injury. UC was also efficient in second-chance points, 24-9. However, UP Cebu had the edge in bench scoring, 39-38. /clorenciana