Centro Escolar University (CEU) proved steadier and wiser down the stretch and scored a remarkable 84-81 come-from-behind win over defending champion Olivarez College to complete an 8-0 sweep in the first phase of the elimination round in the PGFlex-UCAL Season 8 basketball tournament on Thursday at the Paco Arena.
The Scorpions trailed the Sea Lions for most of the game until the 6-foot-9 Precious Momowei imposed his will inside, scoring all but one in a blazing 8-1 windup to keep CEU’s pristine record intact going into the next stage of the elims.
Momowei posted his seventh double-double with 22 points and 12 boards plus two assists in a performance that underscored his desire to win a championship after a forgettable winless stint with University of the East in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines last season.
Geric Cañete also made his presence felt in the duel of unbeaten teams by delivering 17 points, spiked by three triples aside from posting five rebounds and two steals. Christ Singson also shone offensively with 10 points.
With an 8-0 record, the CEU needs only to win two of its three games in the next phase of eliminations to advance outright in the semis.
In other games, Immaculada Concepcion College stunned two-time champion Diliman College, 77-75, despite the 37-point effort of Solomon Kone, and Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas improved to 4-3 after downing University of Batangas, 87-79.
Manila Central University picked up its second win in seven games with an 86-60 drubbing of Philippine Women’s University.
The top four finishers after the first phase will be bracketed in Group A, where they play another round, with the top two earning outright semis berths. The fifth to ninth placers also play another round with the top two joining the losers in Group A in the quarters, which is a knockout affair.