CEBU CITY -- The University of Cebu Junior Webmasters, clear underdogs in the 2015 CESAFI Juniors Division Finals, shocked the fancied Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles in Game 1, 73-63 to grab the upper hand in their best of three championship series..
Nobody expected the Junior Webmasters to stand a chance against the Magis Eagles, who are the two-time defending CESAFI Juniors Division Champions with a team made up of players who were taller and bigger than them.
In the first period, the Junior Webmasters buckled a very slow start as the Eagles led late in the 1st quarter, 20-11 before Joseph
Santome hit a 3-point pointer to cut the lead to six at the end of the 1st period.
In the 2nd quarter, Jason Abejo was finally activated by UC Head Coach Joever "Brad" Samonte and made an impact offensively
scoring 7 of his 15 points in the 1st half, including a rare 4-point play which grabbed the lead, 29-27 midway through the quarter.
Eventually, the Junior Webmasters extend the lead to six, 33-27 at halftime.
In the 3rd canto, the Magis Eagles rallied with a 8-2 run led by Former Batang Gilas under-16 member
Jed Cedrick Colonia and Eroll Pastor, but UC countered with Froilan Mangubat and Luigi Gabisan with an inside-outside combo which
used a 12-5 run that extended the lead, 47-37 late in the period before Colonia hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer which cut the lead to seven.
In the 4th, UC's diminutive guard, the 4'10" Jelmart Umpad started to take over the offense and the quarterbacking chores for the team,
scoring 10 points in that period before they endured another SHS-Ateneo run which cut the lead to 4 led by Patrick Yu's 13 fourth quarter
points capped by Colonia's baseline jumper with 1:17 remaining in the game.
However, Umpad saved the Juniors Webmasters from total collapse as he scored 6 out of the last 8 points and never came lost the lead..
Mangubat was named the best player of the game for UC with his all-around performance behind 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
and 5 steals. Abejo, Gabisan and Umpad combined for 40 points, 19 rebounds and 7 assists. Patrick Yu had 13 points for the Magis
Eagles while Wayne Kirby Bersaluna scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Pastor added 11 points. But Colonia was the
missing player for the eagles despite his 9 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, struggling with 4 of 13 attempts from the field.
BOX SCORES:
UC (73) -- Mangubat 21, Abejo 15, Umpad 14, Gabisan 13, Cuyos 5, Santome 5, Ecal 0, Cabansay 0, Soco 0, Hemida 0, Labrada 0, Florita 0, Malubay 0.
SHS-AdC (63) -- P. Yu 13, Bersaluna 11, Pastor 11, Mantua 9, Colonia 9, Manaytay 3, Calumpang 3, Chen 2, J. Yu 2, Javelosa 0, Chua 0, Visser 0.
Quarter Scores: 14-20; 33-27; 47-40; 73-63.
Comments
Share your thoughts on the above article by Michael Kenji Izumi.