Ateneo de Cebu, USC make Finals

THE SACRED HEART School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles will be gunning for a second straight crown while the University of San Carlos (USC) North tries to take back the throne it once sat on in 2008 in the Small Basketeers of the Philippines division in the 2011 Milo-backed BEST Tournament.

This after the Eagles and the Warriors hurdled their respective opponents in the semifinals held last weekend. Defending champion SHS-AdC overcame USC South, 50-36, while USC North cruised to a 60-40 win over Cebu Eastern College (CEC) in their Final Four matchups to set the stage for the finals.

The Magis Eagles started cold and played from behind all game long until a fiery fourth quarter that settled the final outcome. USC South enjoyed slim two-point leads after the first two quarters at 8-6 and 18-16, then increased this to three at 30-27 at the end of the third period.

SHS-AdC surged at the start of the final period, leaning on John Chen and Blas Bautista, who combined for 11 points in a 15-1 run that gave the Magis Eagles a 42-31 lead midway through the quarter.

Chen led the attack with 17 points.

In the other Final Four game, it was cruise control all the way for USC North, which dominated every department of the game from the get-go.

Clint Octaviano led USC North’s balanced scoring attack with eight points. Joshua Enriquez, Gerelson Tan and Derrick Tamse had six points each as all but one USC North players got on the scoreboard. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio