AFTER a woeful performance last season, Centro Escolar University recalibrated as fast as anyone did and made a swift and easy journey back to the summit.
Drawing inspired games from Mark Jade Sarza and Christ Jay Singson, the CEU Scorpions reaffirmed their mastery of Olivarez College to rule the PGFlex-UCAL Season 8 Basketball Tournament via a two-game sweep of the finals at the Paco Arena.
Big step four-ward for CEU
The Joe Silva-mentored Scorpions capped their stellar showing with an 85-81 Game 2 win – their fourth over the dethroned champions this season that underscored their status as one of the dominant forces in collegiate basketball.
With the 6-foot-3 Sarza, Singson and Precious Momowei leading the onslaught, the Scorpions rushed to an early 13-0 lead before extending their lead to 26-12 at the end of the opening frame, which proved too much for the Sea Lions to overcome.
After falling behind by 16 points twice in the payoff period, the Sea Lions, starring Hakim Njiasse, Christian Vergara and John Escalante, staged several offensive spurts to move dangerously within 81-83 with still 14 ticks left.
Singson, however, restored order with two pressure-packed charities before Kurt Miranda sealed the deal with two more charities after a costly Vergara turnover.
Sarza tallied 25 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists – numbers that earned for himself the Finals MVP award while Singson contributed 20 points and 4 boards.
Olivarez’s Rodel Renon emerged as the season MVP, but on his coronation, he was a pitiful sight on the floor after being held to just 6 points on a dismal 2-11 shooting.
CEU’s title win was its fourth in the league and third at the expense of the Sea Lions, a feat that serves as a stern warning to everyone that the Mendiola-based squad intends to further cement its dynasty in the league.
The Scorpions were so overpowering they finished the season with a 13-1 record – their only defeat inflicted by Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas Pirates in the two-part elims.
But they avenged that loss in the semis with an 82-75 win that saw Sarza produce 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Meantime, the Pirates of Batangas settled for third with a 110-86 drubbing of last year’s runner-up Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas in the event backed by Smart Sports, Akari, Advance Solutions Inc., Spalding, Quintana Sports, Crane Faucet, Hapee Toothpaste, CafeFrance, Vital, TopFlite Academy, Maruyama, and Gerry’s Grill, Mighty Bond, and Undfitd Sportswear.
Renon also led the Elite Five selection along with Sarza, Leonard Marana of Diliman College, James Torrato of University of Batangas and Alvin Reyes of PCU-D, while Diliman’s Solomon Kone was named Best Foreign Player winner, beating Momowei and Njiasse.
Comprising the Defensive Elite Five are PCU-D’s JayR Pronda and John Catayong, UB’s John Atienza, CEU’s Kem Sabsalon and ICC’s Marc Paul Lopez.
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