INQUIRER Sports

The University of San Carlos Warriors fought with the heart of a champion but in the end, fell short as they were bested by NCAA titlists San Sebastian College-Recoletos Stags, 68-76, in overtime, in their ?Sweet 16? game in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League, yesterday at the Superdome in Ormoc City.

The heartbreaking loss left the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) with no more teams in the field following the exit of its top two teams over the weekend.

Nine-time Cesafi winner University of the Visayas Green Lancers were upset by the Mapua Cardinals, 73-76, while the University of Cebu Webmasters were outclassed by the University of the East Red Warriors, 86-105.

Unlike the other two squads, the Warriors were expected to be run over by the NCAA champions who boasted of Mythical Five member Calvin Abueva, Finals MVP Jimbo Aquino and former RP Youth Team member Ian Sangalang. But the Warriors did not get that memo as they fought back from a 10-point deficit entering the final period and sent the game into overtime before running out of steam.

USC appeared to be headed for a beatdown as they trailed 11-22 after the first 10 minutes of play and by 11, 37-28, at halftime. They still trailed by 10, 42-52, heading into the final canto when the Warriors, finalists in the Cesafi two years ago, leaned on their vaunted pressure defense, which forced the Stags into costly errors. San Sebastian committed a whopping 34 turnovers in yesterday?s match.

The Warriors sliced the lead down to one, 63-64, with just 18 seconds left and actually had the chance to take the lead as Sam Hermosa found center Joven Cortes in the shaded lane. The latter though, missed the shot and the Warriors were forced to foul Stags? point guard Pamboy Raymundo, with 6.8 ticks left in the game.

After Raymundo made the foul shots, USC head coach Mike Reyes sued for time and diagrammed a play which the Warriors executed to perfection, resulting in a three-point shot for wingman Giovanni Padillo, that tied the game at 66-all.

In the overtime session though, the taller and heftier Stags asserted their dominance inside as Ian Sangalang and Abueva frolicked for easy points, resulting in the win, and a date with the Letran Knights in the ?Elite Eight.?

Sangalang and Aquino each had 15 points for the Stags while Abueva added 13 points. The Warriors got 23 points from Hermosa and 15 from Padillo.

The University of Sto. Tomas Tigers and the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers were still duking it out for the last quarterfinals ticket as of this writing.