USJ-R maintains hold of second place after barely escaping USPF in Cesafi seniors hoop

The University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars solidified their hold of second place in the standings after they eked by the gritty University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panthers, 75-74, in the 12th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

For the second game in a row, the Jaguars played complacently and nearly paid for it as they built a 16-point advantage in the fourth period and watched it evaporate in the wake of a furious 24-6 rally by the Panthers.

Fortunately for the Jaguars, they had Abulaiz Sulaiman and Renato Abing as the two scored crucial baskets in the dying seconds that gave them their fifth win in six games.

In juniors play, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University defeated the Cebu Eastern College, 82-79.

Abing finished with 18 points, three rebounds and four steals but it was Sulaiman that led them with 19 markers.

James Regalado and Banjo Capilar each submitted 10 points.

USPF got 20 from James Ferraren and 18 from Joseph Sedurifa.

Abing scored the go-ahead layup for USJ-R with 9.7 seconds on the clock.

The Panthers had one last shot at winning the match but Ferraren missed on his jumper as time expired, sealing the team’s fifth loss in as many games.