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It was a day of surprises in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) basketball tournament as the playdate saw a huge upset in the start of the semifinal round and yet another suspension added to the lengthy list that has been piling up late in the season.
Reigning juniors division champions and top-seed University of Cebu (UC) Baby Webmasters had their title-defense imperiled after they were dealt their first loss of the season after they fell to the fourth-seeded University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars, 77-85, in Game 1 of their best-of-three semifinal series yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Baby Webmasters appeared to be in full control of the game as they led by as many as 18 points in the third period, 53-35. They ended the first half on top by 15, 46-31.
But the Jaguars let go of a 12-0 blast that cut the gap to six, 47-53, behind the efforts of Vengie Trozo, Alister Escatron and Clint Munez.
UC still held an eight-point advantage, 65-57, at the start of the fourth period, but were suddenly ambushed by USJ-R, who sizzled with a 10-2 run that finally tied the match at 67-all with 5:26 left in the game.
Order was briefly restored by UC as a free-throw gave them a one-point lead at 68-67 but the Baby Jaguars were not to be denied as they romped off nine unanswered points anchored on two straight baskets by Trozo, a three-pointer by Escatron and a driving floater by Munez that put them on top, 76-68, with a little over three minutes remaining.
The Baby Webmasters cut the lead down to three, 73-76, but USJ-R's Arthur Go, which played a key part in holding down UC's star guard Jerei Pingoy to just four points, completed a three-point play to secure the win for the Baby Jaguars and put them a win away from a slot in the Finals.
Munez led USJ-R with 25 points while Trozo added 18 markers. Escatron and Edu Autentico each had 15 markers. UC was led by Alvin Labo-Labo's 22 points and Gerald Ampoon's 17 markers.
Another suspension
Meanwhile, Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy added another suspension to his hitlist as Southwestern University's (SWU) star guard Eliud Poligrates was suspended for the rest of the season for playing in a tournament last Oct. 5 in Lokana, Brgy. Calunasan.
According to an investigation, Poligrates played under the name ?J. Mangubat? and scored 57 points.
His presence at the said game was confirmed in an affidavit by tournament organizer Saldy Ebarita and Cesafi referee Temis Inocian.
Poligrates now joins teammates Rene Pacquiao and Jeff Pria on the suspended list along with USC's Paul Joven, University of the Visayas' (UV) Junjun Lasala, Don Bosco's Jefford Aldave, Cebu Institute of Technology's (CIT) Chester Curso and USJ-R's Abulaiz Suliman.
However, SWU officials have relented and have decided to let their suspended players play in their knockout game against USC, which was still being played in as of this writing.
According to head coach Dodi Miego, athletic director Ryan Aznar instructed him to do so as his players have done no wrongdoing as they played after they were eliminated from the competition last Oct. 4 in a 72-80 loss to USC in the quarterfinals.
That loss was nullified and the win was awarded to the Cobras after USC's Paul Joven was found out to have played in an unsanctioned tournament in Minglanilla last Sept. 27.
