28 April 2019
By Ardyn Gonzales
CEBU CITY—The Final Four pairings have been set after the final quarterfinal playdate of the 2019 Governor’s Cup Inter-Cities/Municipalities Basketball Tournament last Sunday, April 28.
Balamban outlasted Medellin, 76-71, to finish its quarterfinal round campaign in Bracket B with five wins and one loss.
Balamban joined early semifinalist Mandaue, which ended the quarters with a perfect 6-0 (win-loss) via a dominating 102-87 win over Dumanjug.
Jacob Fernandez keyed Balamban’s much-needed win by firing 21 points. He was backed by Joshua Gellacone, who tallied 18.
Paul Sungahid paced the red-hot Mandaue with 21 points, while Kenneth Brillo and Gabriel Cometa chipped in 13 and 12, respectively.
In Bracket A, the Minglanilla Archangels, the league’s inaugural champions, banked on a superior quotient to join the defending champions Talisay City Aquastars in the semis.
The final quarterfinal playdate in Bracket A saw Talisay beating Tuburan, 92-81, and the Consolacion Sarok Weavers drubbing Tabuelan, 107-97.
Talisay finished the quarters with a spotless 6-0 slate, while Minglanilla, Tuburan and Consolacion all wound up with 4-2 records.
Minglanilla went on to secure the second and final semis seat owing to its quotient of 1.048. Tuburan netted 1.006 and while Consolacion had 0.949.
The do-or-die semifinal round will start on Tuesday, April 30, with Talisay taking on Balamban at the Talisay City Sports Complex.
Mandaue and Minglanilla will have their own semifinal showdown on May 1 at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.
Semifinal winners will advance to the best-of-three finals series where a huge P500,000 cash prize is at stake.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @burnsports
