CEBU CITY — University of Cebu held steady down the stretch to topple the resilient University of Southern Philippines Foundation, 83-72, in the Chooks-to-Go Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) Season 23 collegiate basketball semifinals on Thursday at the Cebu Coliseum here.
UC now advances to the championship round where they will battle the defending champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers in a best-of-three showdown, which begins on Tuesday, December 12, at the same venue.
The Webmasters led by as much as 21, 54-33, but the Panthers responded with a massive 16-2 run sparked by the scoring of Winston Bingil to trim the deficit to seven, 56-49, heading to the fourth canto.
The Panthers kept on coming and pulled to within four, 58-54, after a corner triple by Ken Gato with eight minutes left in the game.
However, that was as close as USPF got as UC answered with a 15-2 run led by forwards Jhiey Paraldo and Luther Leonard, along with point guard Zareygel Rosano to establish a 73-56 lead.
Rosano led UC with 19 points while Paraldo came up with 13 markers. Leonard finished with 12.
Bingil had 18 points to pace USPF while Alje Mendez and Peter Peteros scored 14 markers apiece. – JP
