SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY: UC Main advances to Cesafi juniors hoops finals

Sports

THEY were supposed to be on an unwelcome vacation but a shocking turn of events put them back in title contention. The University of Cebu (UC) Main Baby Webmasters are determined to make the most out of the situation.

The Baby Webmasters will contend for the championship after they nipped the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons, 68-60, in the semifinal round of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Season 25 secondary basketball tournament on Monday, Dec. 8, at the Cebu Coliseum.

UC Main was actually not part of the semifinalists when it only landed at fifth spot after the elimination round. They only made it to the Final 4 when the league decided to forfeit some of the games of the University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM) due to a violation committed by one of its players.

The forfeiture of UCLM’s seven games–six were won games–pulled them down to ninth place that paved the way for UC Main’s entry to the Finals.

From fifth spot, UC Main even moved up to second spot, giving them a twice-to-beat bonus against CEC. It turned UC Main didn’t need the twice-to-beat bonus, quickly dispatching CEC to arrange a best-of-three championship series with the defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, who returned to the Finals by beating the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildkittens in their own semifinal duel, 66-62.

Emotion ran high before tip-off as UC Main players showed up clad in UCLM’s warm-up hoodies in a dramatic display of solidarity with their sister team.

UC Main was all business from the get-go, building a 36-24 cushion at the half. The Baby Webmasters kept their feet on the gas pedal the rest of the way en route to securing the big win.

The trio of Jape Mamza, Marty Louisse Sotto, and Zerex Russell Alejandro took charge for UC Main.

Mamza finished with 17 points, five steals, four rebounds, and an assist, Sotto piled up 12 points, eight rebounds, eight steals, and three assists while Alejandro chipped in 11 points.

Mart Justine Parilla and Reyvene Arobo led CEC with 15 and 11 points, respectively.(CCM)