Saturday, September 29, 2007 Webmasters sturdy in semis
THE University of Cebu Baby Webmasters pulled tricks up their sleeves to snuff out the fire of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Baby Panthers, 96-89, to lead in the semifinals series of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) juniors basketball yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.
The match-up was Game One of the best-of-three semis engagement and the win had put the defending champs up front in the battle.
The game saw the lead shifting sides every so often with one team not able to build up a confident lead the entire game. Leadership
UC led in the first quarter, but did not go further than an eight-point mark as Henry Babiera kept USPF afloat and the team’s bid alive as he scored the bulk of his 26 points in this period that allowed the Baby Panthers to pin the UC squad up on the wall ending the first half at 45-all.
Another see-saw battle ensued in the penultimate round that ultimately saw UC leading 72-70, behind the efforts of Joseph Sedurifa, Codilla and Marty Pearce.
USPF pushed the Baby Webmasters’ patience to the hilt with their never-say-die attitude. The Baby Panthers opened fire at the start of the fourth period when Ephraim Elorde shattered the silence with a three-pointer for USPF to snatch the lead, 73-72. Little did the Baby Panthers know that this will be the last time they take hold of the driver’s seat.
Performance
UC detonated a torrent of baskets courtesy of Leymund Babad and the acrobatic pointguard Jeff Ryan Alviva. However, Elorde had an answer.
He scored nine straight points in the first four minutes into the fourth period forcing for four deadlocks that kept USPF’s head above the water.
Babad then took charge and spearheaded 11-4 run, which silenced the Baby Panthers for good.
Alviva top-scored for UC with 16 points, but USPF’s Babiera scored the game’s highest mark of 26 points, which was spiked by six triples.
Redemption
Pelayo Cabañero and Pearce scored 15 each, while Babad and Sedurifa fished 14 and 13 respectively.
USPF still has a chance to redeem itself in game two this Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum. If UC still wins, they will be the ones advancing to the final round against the winner in the other semis match-up between the University of San Carlos and University of the Visayas.
