HUA Siong College of Iloilo Red Phoenix and St. Robert’s International Academy Panda Rockets are battling each other in the finals of the Bingawan Foundation Cup Preseason High School Basketball.
Red Phoenix and Panda Rockets are headed to the championship match at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday after besting their semifinal foes on Saturday at the gym in Bingawan, Iloilo.
Lee Jimera came up with clutch conversions in the overtime period as Red Phoenix cruised to an 83-78 victory over University of San Agustin Golden Eagles in the first semifinal game.
Trailing 78-76 early in the extension period, Jimera connived with Reneil Gamboa for Red Phoenix to surge 80-78. After misses from Golden Eagles, Jimera converted from the free throw line to seal the victory for Hua Siong.
Jimera finished the match with 14 points while Reynold Tupas continued his splendid game for Red Phoenix with 26 points. John Michael Vicencio top-scored with 32 points, including six triples, for Golden Eagles.
Panda Rockets survived its second consecutive knockout game as it stunned Hercor College Junior Jaguars 95-88 with Gwyn Miles Pendon leading the way with 16 markers.
St. Robert’s pulled away from a tightly contested match with a barrage of outside shots from Pendon, Kent Jog Parrenas and Louie Jay Villarosa to put the fight out from Junior Jaguars.
Prior to the finals, the battle for third place between Junior Jaguars and Golden Eagles will be at 1 p.m./PN
