Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. – USC vs. USJ-R (Srs.)
6:45 p.m. – SWU vs. UV (Srs.)
The defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles flirted with disaster but had Jair “The Igniter” Igna to save the day for them as the veteran wingman scored the crucial points including the game-winning layup that pushed them to a thrilling 76-71 win over rivals University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers in the juniors division semifinal round of the 13th Cesafi basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.
In the day’s other game, the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons surged ahead in the race for one of the two finals tickets at stake in this round as they won their second game in a row with a 79-72 come-from-behind victory over the University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors.
Facing a seven-point deficit at the start of the final canto, 51-58, and the prospect of going down 0-2 in this double round-robin semis, the Eagles came out determined and eventually took the lead, 67-66, after a three-pointer by Igna with 1:42 left. The Eagles extended their lead, 71-68, after back-to-back baskets by Arnie Padilla.
UV tied the game with a three-pointer by Theo Flores, with 33.5 ticks left on the clock. But Igna had an answer and scored the telling basket as he drove hard to his right and soared high for a layup for a 73-71 SHS-AdC lead.
UV had a chance at tying the game but shot itself on the foot by committing a backcourt violation as a result of a terrible inbound pass by Flores.
Padilla and Igna sealed the win by converting three pressure-packed freethrows near the end.
Igna had 28 points, six steals and four rebounds while Padilla, a member of the Philippine under-16 team, added 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the semifinal round in the seniors division kicks into high gear with yet another chapter in the fierce rivalry between the titlists Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras and the UV Green Lancers being forged tonight at 6:45 p.m.
UV is aiming to get back at the Cobras for the 76-80 defeat it suffered in their lone encounter so far this season.
With that in mind, SWU head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba is bracing his squad for a slam-bang affair, one that may very well determine the title fate of these two powerhouse squads.
“The game tomorrow (today) will be a close fight from start to finish,” Alcoseba said.