After two failed attempts, coach Kenneth Kernn Atilano Sesante finally pulled his breakthrough win after steering the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters to a dramatic 84-78 conquest of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars in the 2022 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, October 23, at the Cebu Coliseum.
“I’m happy that we finally scored a win. I commend my boys for playing consistent basketball until the end,” said Sesante, a standout guard of the UC Webmasters during his college days back in mid 2000s.
After surging ahead 22-11 early on, the Webmasters saw themselves in a deep 12-point hole, 57-45, late in the third period but thanks to the spirited endgame fightback masterminded by Jhiey Paraldo and Luigi Gabisan, they motored back to a 79-75 lead with less than three minutes left to play.
The Jaguars inched closer for the last time at 78-79 as Gabisan hit a crucial basket and then Paraldo sank a crucial 3-pointer to raise the Webmasters into cloud nine with only 37 seconds to go.
Gabisan churned out 20 points while Paraldo produced 18 markers. They conspired for 18 points in a daring fourth-quarter assault, 26-10, that silenced the Jaguars in the end. Michael Diaz and Paul Galinato also made their presence felt for the UC with 14 and 12 points.
[…] However, it also expresses deep concern and dissatisfaction with his coaching style, which the fans claim is no longer effective in the global stage of basketball. […]