CEBU CITY — The San Roque College de Cebu (SRCDC) Greyhounds made a memorable CESAFI debut after overcoming a 21-point deficit to defeat the PAREF Springdale School (PSS) Titans, 62-59, on Saturday, August 29, at the Cebu Coliseum.
Both schools are newcomers to the CESAFI high school division this season, making their opening-day encounter their first taste of league competition.
PAREF Springdale School appeared to be in complete control early, taking a 17-8 lead after the first quarter before outscoring San Roque College de Cebu, 20-11, in the second period.
The Titans carried a commanding 37-19 advantage into halftime and at one point built their biggest lead of the game to 21 points.
The Greyhounds, however, came out of the halftime break as a completely different team.
San Roque College de Cebu erupted for 26 points in the third quarter while limiting PAREF Springdale School to only eight, erasing an 18-point halftime deficit and tying the contest at 45-all entering the final period.
With momentum on their side, the Greyhounds completed the turnaround by edging the Titans, 17-14, in the fourth quarter to secure the 62-59 victory.
Luche leads SRCDC comeback
Anthony Ross Luche led San Roque College de Cebu with an impressive all-around performance, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
He received plenty of support from Jellio Oñot, who contributed 12 points, while John Raven Dumanhug added 11 points.
The Greyhounds also made their presence felt on the boards, outrebounding the Titans, 57-51, including 24 offensive rebounds.
San Roque College de Cebu's bench also contributed 20 points, compared with 11 from PAREF Springdale School.
Gratones delivers monster game for PSS
Despite the loss, Anton Lorenzo Gratones delivered a standout performance for PAREF Springdale School, finishing with 25 points, 21 rebounds and seven assists.
The Titans controlled the game for most of the night, holding the lead for approximately 31 minutes and 20 seconds, compared with only 4 minutes and 22 seconds for the Greyhounds.
But San Roque College de Cebu made its late surge count.
After scoring only 19 points in the entire first half, the Greyhounds poured in 43 points after halftime, including their game-changing 26-point third quarter, to complete the comeback.
Final Score
San Roque College de Cebu Greyhounds 62
PAREF Springdale School Titans 59
PAREF Springdale School Titans 59
Quarter scores:
SRCDC — 8 | 11 | 26 | 17 — 62
PSS — 17 | 20 | 8 | 14 — 59
SRCDC — 8 | 11 | 26 | 17 — 62
PSS — 17 | 20 | 8 | 14 — 59
Top performers:
Anthony Ross Luche (SRCDC): 17 PTS, 12 REB
Jellio Oñot (SRCDC): 12 PTS
John Raven Dumanhug (SRCDC): 11 PTS
Anton Lorenzo Gratones (PSS): 25 PTS, 21 REB, 7 AST
Anthony Ross Luche (SRCDC): 17 PTS, 12 REB
Jellio Oñot (SRCDC): 12 PTS
John Raven Dumanhug (SRCDC): 11 PTS
Anton Lorenzo Gratones (PSS): 25 PTS, 21 REB, 7 AST