Monterey advances to CYBL final

The Monterey School of Talisay used its advantage in its 43-37 win over Barangay Ermita to advance to the finals for the first time in four years in the 3rd Conference of the Cebu Youth Basketball League (CYBL) at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Gen. Maxilom Ave. Gym in Cebu City yesterday.

The Monterey School dominated the paint and raced to an early 16-9 lead after the first quarter before making it a 13-point game at half-time, 22-9.

Monterey School padded the lead to 16 points, 38-22, after the third quarter before Barangay Ermita made a move in the final canto and trimmed the gap to five, 43-37, but that was the closest it could get.

Kyan Reyes scored 21 points for Monterey School of Talisay, who will face One on One B in the championship match.

“The priority of our play was defense. We were able to run that on this game,” said Monterey School of Talisay head coach Ronald Bucao. “We want to have this same intensity in the finals.”

Bucao said that this was the team’s first time to go to the finals in four years and they will prepare hard to put themselves in a good position for the title.

“I think we have to double our practice and do it twice a day,”he said.

The University of Visayas (UV) B, on the other hand, booted out the One on One-B with a 65-57 victory in the semifinals of the U-15 Division 2.

Edgar Allan Velarde and Fer- gus Felices combined for 24 points for UV-B, who will face Alocillo Training School-2 in the championship match.

Jordan Camajalan put up 19 points and Adrian Ranoco handed 14 in a losing effort for One on One-B.

In the U-10 division, the St. Benedict Child Education Centre sneaked past St. Alphonsus Catholic School, 18-16, in the quarterfinals.

John Marco Teodorico played the hero’s role for the St. Benedict Child Education Center after scoring a lay-up with 30 seconds left in the game to put his team ahead for good, 18-16.

Teodorico also top scored for the winning squad with nine, while Mark Yllane Maloloy-on finished with eight for St. Alphonsus Catholic School. /

SUNSTAR FOTO/ RUEL ROSELLO TRAPPED. A player from Barangay Ermita tries to get past two defenders from Monterey School of Talisay during their semifinal encounter in the CYBL U15 division.