ILOILO City – Central Philippine University Golden Lions dethroned Western Institute of Technology, 64-54, to clinch the crown in the 2023 ILOPRISAA tertiary men’s basketball over the weekend at the University of San Agustin Gym here.
Led by former UAAP high school players Jesse Sullano, Kevin Barranco and Jean Raven Beliran, the Golden Lions leaned on a strong fourth quarter surge to reclaim the crown after 18 years.
Other members of the Warren Jalipa-mentored Golden Lions squad were Richie Galvez, Miguel Yu, Elcyd Pascual, Jaspher Antijendra, Wilmer Dalumpines, Kerwin Onate, Kevin Juaneza and Joe Fred Rosales.
The championship served as a rematch of the previous ILOPRISAA tertiary men’s basketball finals in 2019 where the Western Institute of Technology defeated the Golden Lions, 85-74.
“After 18 years of drought, CPU finally got the title again,” Pascual wrote on his Facebook post. “The team is dedicating this to (the late CPU sports director) sir Edwin Caro Laru-an.”
The Golden Lions swept their three elimination round matches against WIT, University of San Agustin and Iloilo Doctors College to clinch the top spot and an outright seat in the semifinals.
In the semifinals round, the Golden Lions prevailed over Iloilo Doctors College with a score of 76-55, while Western Institute of Technology escaped University of San Agustin, 72-63.
Meanwhile, Central Philippine University was not able to sweep the tertiary basketball crown as their women’s team were defeated by the University of San Agustin in the championship game.
Meanwhile, CPU’s other ILOPRISAA titles came in men’s and women’s chess, men’s and women’s table tennis, men’s and women’s taekwondo, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s badminton, men’s football, women’s futsal, women’s karatedo, men’s sepak takraw and women’s softball.
The Golden Lions also finished runner up in men’s athletics, women’s badminton, women’s 3×3 basketball and men’s karatedo and second runner up in women’s athletics and men’s beach volleyball./PN
