Cesafi hoop wars: Panthers pick up win 2 in closely fought game against Warriors
The USP-F Panthers players and coaching staff huddle up after winning their Cesafi men’s basketball game versus USC. | Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Panthers outlasted the University of San Carlos, 72-67, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament on Sunday evening, Oct. 30, 2022 at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Panthers improved their record to two wins with one defeat, while the Warriors suffered their third defeat in five games.
Rodelio Cauba Jr. led the Panthers with 18 points, while Alje Mendez had 11, and Neon Chavez with 10 points.
Jhoernel Tangkay was the lone double-digit scorer for the Warriors with 10 points, while Stephen Dela Paz had 9, and Roosevelt Jelliangao added 8.
After trailing by one in halftime, 31-32, the Panthers turned the tables in the third period with a 17-12 run behind the efforts of Cauba, Chavez, Dave Paulo, and John Miguel Maglasang, to grab a four-point lead, 48-44, heading into the final period.
Paulo then opened the final period with a basket which initiated 8-4 run that stretched the Panthers lead to 10 points, 56-46, with Cauba topping it by making both his freethrows with six minutes left in the game.
As time winded down, the Warriors fought tooth and nail to cut the lead to just two, 63-65, with two minutes left in the game through the efforts of Dela Paz and Vhann Joshua Baruc.
Unfortunately, the Warriors committed costly fouls that sent Paulo to the freethrow line to bring back USP-F’s lead to a two-possession ball game, 67-63, while Cauba scored a putback in the following ball possession which further stretched their lead to six, 69-63, with 13.2 seconds left.
Baruc retaliated with a layup, cutting the lead to four, 65-69, with 13.2 seconds left in the game.
As time ran out, the Warriors tried to prolong their inevatable defeat by forcing fouls which sent Karl Marvin Langahin to the charity stripe and yielded three free throws in two occasions that gave USP-F a six point lead, 72-65, with 11 seconds left.
Ranuco made last efforts by scoring a layup, but it was a little too late to shift the momentum on their side, ultimately giving the victory to the Panthers.
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