Marchie Sabanto gets fouled by USPF’s Jasper Lumingkit during their Cesafi basketball game. | Photo from Sugbuanong Kodaker
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The defending champions, University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, closed their elimination round campaign with a hard-fought 70-61 win over the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 24 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday night, November 17, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Green Lancers finished the elimination round with a strong 7-1 record, currently securing the No. 2 seed.
Their fate now rests on the performance of this season’s dark horse, the Benedicto College Cheetahs, who are gunning to win their last two games—against the CIT-U Wildcats on Saturday, November 23, and the unbeaten UC Webmasters on November 26—to overtake UV in the standings.
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Should the Cheetahs win both games and force a triple tie, they could potentially claim the top seed if they have superior total points via the points quotient system, making their upcoming clashes pivotal.
The Cheetahs face an uphill battle as they go against an equally-determined Wildcats team still in the hunt for a Final Four spot with a 2-4 record on Saturday, November 23.
The Wildcats aim to dislodge the current No. 4 seed, the USJ-R Jaguars (4-4), with their last two crucial games, including a matchup against the CRMC Mustangs tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19.
USPF Panthers eliminated
Meanwhile, the USPF Panthers’ loss officially eliminates them from the Final Four contention, ending their streak of playoff appearances at three seasons.
Despite their struggles this season, the Panthers put up a valiant fight against the Green Lancers in a tightly contested game marked by six lead changes and two deadlocks.
UV started strong, building a 15-point lead, 39-24, by halftime.
However, USPF clawed their way back, trimming the deficit to just five points, 66-61, late in the fourth quarter. The Green Lancers managed to regain composure in the final minutes to secure the victory.
Raul Gentallan, UV’s leading scorer this season, spearheaded the win with a balanced performance, logging 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. However, he was the only Green Lancer to finish in double figures.
Bench players Marchie Sabanto and Christopher Isabelo each contributed nine points, while PJ Taliman added nine markers to help UV fend off the persistent Panthers.
For USPF, Peter John Peteros ended his promising season with a game-high 17 points. Rolan Daclison added 14 points in the loss, but their efforts fell short as the Panthers concluded their season with a 3-5 record.
The Green Lancers now await the results of the final elimination round games, particularly those involving the Cheetahs and Webmasters, as the playoff picture takes shape. With CESAFI Season 24 heading into its decisive stages, the intensity on the hardwood is only set to rise.