USC-North escapes sister team in OT

THE UNIVERSITY of San Carlos North Campus booked the last seat in the semifinals as they topped their sister school USC South, 64-55, in an overtime thriller in the Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars Basketball Tournament 2012 Cebu Leg over at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu basketball courts along Mango Avenue.

Dolan Adlawan shone through for USC North as he scored six points in overtime that was part of a 9-1 run that blew the game wide open in their favor en route to the win.

Adlawan, a 6-foot-2 center, was also the one credited for sending the game to the extra session as his basket with 1:10 left in regulation tied the match at 52-all.

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for USC South as Carlo Ortega and Juneau Antigua had opportunities to win it in regulation when they went to the freethrow line with under a minute left in the game. Both missed all four attempts, the last pair with 37 seconds left.

Clint Suelto scattered 17 points to lead USC North as Adlawan added 15. Ralf Camacho led USC South with 16. Paul Galinato added 10.

USC North (2-1) joined semifinal qualifiers Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu 1 (3-0), Cebu Eastern College (3-0) and University of the Visayas (2-1).

SHS-Ateneo defeated Thumbs up, 58-34 in a non-bearing game. CEC trounced USPF, 55-38, to sweep their group while UV ousted SHS-Ateneo 2, 87-45. The semifinal matchups have SHS-Ateneo 1 facing off against UV while CEC plays USC North.  /Correspondent Jonas Panerio