TWICE-TO-BEAT holders AFP and PNP don’t have to go back on the hard court for rubber matches next week as they’re headed to the UNTV Cup Executive Faceoff Finals.
The AFP Cavaliers and the PNP Responders forged a winner-take-all finals’ matchup after dominating their respective foes in the doubleheader semifinals of the UNTV Cup Executive Faceoff at the Pasig City Sports Center on Sunday.
Clamping down on defense for almost the entire game, the AFP Cavaliers needed just 20 minutes to take the game away from the Judiciary Magis as they went coast-to-coast to a breezy 86-70 victory to set their highly anticipated finale against PNP.
The Cavaliers, who had the best defense during the elimination round, haunted Judiciary with their suffocating full-court press for the entire 40 minutes, forcing steals and several ill-advised shots en route to the 16-point rout.
AFP’s defense was so tight that they could afford to shoot just 36 percent from the field to lead the Judiciary, 70-45, at the end of the third quarter thanks to Col. Oliver Vesliño, Col. Kiram Grajo, and BGen. Gener Del Rosario’s combined six 3-pointers.
AFP limited the Magis to just five field goals made after 20 minutes and forced them to 11 turnovers as the Cavaliers led, 36-21, at the break and never looked back.
BGen. Del Rosario and Col. Vesliño led AFP’s balanced outing as they tallied 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Col. Grajo drilled four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points as the Cavaliers spoiled Wendell Ramiterre’s conference-high 23 points for Judiciary.
AFP meets PNP on July 10 for the one-game finals of the tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Earlier, the Responders rode on PSSupt Anthony Padua’s huge first half performance and pulled away in the second quarter to beat the DOJ Justice Boosters, 89-77.
Padua scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half and inspired PNP to a solid second-quarter outing, where they started with a 15-0 run to open up a 41-23 lead and never looked back.
PSupt Peter Limbauan added 18 for the UNTV Cup Season 5 champion PNP, which now looks to avenge its 86-94 elimination-round loss to the AFP Cavaliers.
Assistant City Prosecutor Julius Gaurano led DOJ with 17 points, while OIC City Prosecutor Nonilon Tagalicud had 13 points, but their team could not find answers to PNP’s hot 3-point shooting, which netted 10 treys.