
NAASCU semis underway
Games today:
(Pasig City Sports Center)
8 a.m. --St.Clare vs Fatima (J)
9:30 a.m. -- De Ocampo vs. Enderun (S)
11 a.m.-- Three-Point Shootout
1 p.m. -- RTU vs. Enderun (W)
2:30 p.m. -- St. Clare vs. New Era (S)
DEFENDING champion St.Clare College battles New Era University and De Ocampo Memorial College meets Enderun in a pair of semifinal matches expected to add more spice to the NAASCU Season 18 basketball tournament at the Pasig City Sports Center along Caruncho Ave.
The Saints, who are seeking an unprecedented third straight title, and the Cobras are favored to win in their respective best-of-three semifinal series and arrange a rematch of last year’s title series.
The Saints swept the Cobras, 101-79 and 98-83, in the finals last year.
But two new faces in the semis -- Hunters and the Titans -- are ready to make the most of their breakthrough performances and spoil what many expected as another title rematch between last year’s finalists.
The Saints and the Hunters will square off in the fourth and last game of another busy schedule at 2:30 p.m.
The Cobras and the Titans clash at 9:30 a.m.
In the 8 a.m. curtainraiser, defending champion Our Lady of Fatima University and St. Clare meet in the junior division.
Fatima rode on Gervin Compas' game-winning basket as time expired to beat Arandia College, 104-102, in overtime while St.Clare leaned on big games of Stephen Catacutan and Cedrick Mwamba to subdue AMA University, 75-69, to set the stage for their junior rematch.
The lone women’s division match will pit Enderun Colleges against Rizal Technological University at 1 p.m.
An added attraction is the Three-Point Shootout scheduled at 11 a.m. with no less than Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go as the special guest.
The scores:
First game (S)
New Era (67) --Comia 18, Marticio 16, Bringas 9, Reyes 7, Akindele 6, de la Cruz 5, Astoveza 4, Gabriel 2, Castillo 0.
Fatima (65)-- Cabrera 25, Alarcon 10, Evardo 7, Essomba 6, Sarona 6, de Vera 4, Diosa 3, Dalupang 2, Diao 2, Bacay 0, Pastrana 0, Espiritu 0.
Quartercores: 13-21, 35-33, 51-51, 67-65.
Second game (S)
Enderun (86) -- Chauca 28, Nunez 16, Gatdula 8, Maagdenberg 7, Oebanda 6, de la Cruz 6, Mariano 6, Dungan 4, Tancioco 3, Goethals 2, Sacundo 0.
St. Francis (70) -- Tolosa 12, Oduo 12, Manzanilla 11, Larotin 7, Cenita 7, Arellano 6, Parcero 5, Cruz 4, Madrid 4, de la Cruz 2.
Quarterscores: 14-24, 45-38, 68-53, 86-70.