USJ-R, CIT-U bag third place honors

THE UNIVERSITY of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars played with much desire and captured third place honors after they sneaked past the deposed champions University of Cebu Webmasters, 70-68, in the 12th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Jaguars completed a two-game sweep of the Webmasters, who actually led, 25-6, early in the second period.

USJ-R came alive after UC’s Jan Auditor was called for a technical foul and an unsportsmanlike foul several sequences apart.

The Jaguars eventually caught up and took the lead with a sizzling stretch, wherein they outscored their opponents, 20-4, with Banjo Capilar catching fire and sank three three-pointers to take a 49-39 lead late in the third canto.

UC persevered and came all the way back to take the driver’s seat, 66-64, after two freethrows and a corner three by Kido Cabrera with 2:35 left.

But USJ-R was not done as Matthew Parker made a freethrow and Capilar swished the last of his three pointers for a 68-66 lead with 2:00 left.

Brian Heruela was able to tie the game for the last time with a post basket but defensive guard Renato Abing sank the game-winner as he sneaked in a putback for a 70-68 score with 1:20 remaining.

UC had one last shot at tying the series but Robinson Mohamad’s three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed in and out.

Abulaiz Suliman had 16 to lead the Jaguars while Parker and Capilar each had 15. Heruela had a game-high 30 points for UC.

In the juniors division, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildkittens took third place after they beat the Cebu Eastern College Dragons, 69-63. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio