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CEBU CITY: University of Luzon (UL) banked on
Jonathan Pamicia’s basket to beat Asian College of Technology
(ACT), 104-102, Friday and join University of Visayas (UV),
Southwestern University and University of San Carlos (USC) in the
semifinals of the 62nd National Students Basketball Championship (NSBC)
at the historic Cebu Coliseum here.
Pamicia, who had eight in the
ballgame, scored the marginal basket for the UL Maroons with six
seconds left in the clock after a late 14-0 blast by the ACT
CyberKnights tied the count at 102-all with still 26.6 seconds
to go.
Both teams failed to buy a basket
in the next two possessions, until Pamicia freed himself for the
basket—and the win.
JR Franada scored 17 points while
Claude Cubo and Alvin Flores had 14 each for the Dagupan City-based
Maroons, who made it to the semis for the second straight year of
this tournament organized by the Basketball Association of the
Philippines (BAP) in cooperation with BAP-Region VII and backed by
Converse, Nature’s Spring and Fortuna Hotel & Bakery.
The USC Warriors have to overcame
a 10-point deficit to oust defending champion Angeles University
Foundation (AUF), 88-83.
Nino Ramirez finished with 22
points while Enrico Llanto and Giovanni Pardillo chipped in 17 and
16 points, respectively.
Fil-American Matt Carney had 26
points for the AUF Danes, who won the title in Ibahay, Aklan last
year. Lemeul Manarang contributed 11 and Gian Fuertez added 10.
Southwestern University again
leaned on the high-scoring Alfred Belande, Eric Zaneria, Lloyd
Poligrates and Clifford Maguate to turn back Universal College of
Nursing-Paranaque, 86-74.
Belande knocked in 16 points
while Zaneria, Poligrates and Maguate had 12 each to lead the Cobras
to the Final Four.
The Cobras won the championship
when the NSBC was last held in Cebu 14 years ago in 1996.
But it was the UV Lancers who had
the easiest time in the quarterfinals, blasting City College of
Manila (CCM), 116-86, late Thursday to catch the last semis bus.
Five Lancers had double-digit
scores, with Junjun Lasala and Chris Diputado scoring 15 points
apiece. Edrian Lao had 14 followed by 6-11 Gregory Slaughter with 13
and Von Harry Lanete with 10.
Christian Quinones and Jhaymar
Marte had 19 points each, while Jervy Estacio and Marlon dela Cruz
added 15 and 14, respectively for the Merlions, who reached
the quarterfinals on their first stint in the NSBC.
“Masyadong malakas ang UV.
Kumpleto sila sa loob at sa labas. Malalaki pa [UV is very strong.
They are complete inside and out. They are big],” said CCM coach
Randy Alcantara.
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