IT’S the end of the line for the hopes of the Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) Greywolves to march deeper into the playoffs as they collapsed in the final two minutes of the game to yield the last slot to the semifinal round to the University of Cebu Baby Webmasters, 75-70, in the high school quarterfinal round of the 2016 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Basketball Tournament at the Cebu Coliseum last night.
UC rose from a 12-point deficit behind the defensive gems of Medellin wonder boy Gelmart Umpad, who again stood taller than his diminutive frame.
It looked like the game was in the wrap for the Greywolves who were dominant in third and up to the last 3:45 of the fourth periods.
All of a sudden, everything went black for DBTC and the Greywolves saw their lead slowly getting chipped away by the aggressiveness of the Baby Webmasters.
A 14-1 blitz of the Webmasters highlighted by an ankle injury of DBTC’s lone legitimate point guar JB Damolo silenced the boisterous supporters.
“I was not worried because I know we could still make a final stand. We could make a last rally. That is what we are looking at. Whatever happened, we gave it our all. We gambled everything and we pulled through,” UC head coach Jovir Samonte said after the game.
The game was closely fought from start to finish before the match was decided by the heart of the Webmasters who stood pat on their grounds to deny DBTC a place in the Final four.
UC started the game on an 11-0 blast but that lead was slowly eaten up with the Greywolves ending the first half with their own 11-0 rally.
The Baby Webmasters were woeful in the third while Miguel de la Torre, Ken Gato and Damolo combined for a 15-3 run that gave DBTC a 12-point lead, 46-34.
DBTC managed to keep UC at bay before the game changed dramatically with the Baby Webmasters showing their determinations and gallantry to win the match.
John Bryl Cuyos scored the game high 19 points, Jumike Casera added 14, Umpad and Kylle Ordeniza had 12 points each for UC. Gato scattered 19 points and De la Torre and John Mangaron made 11 points each for DBTC.
The win moved UC alongside defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, University of the Visayas Baby Lancers and the Cebu Eastern College Dragons in the semifinal round.