DEFENDING champion Cluster 3 Black Panthers retained the crown on a cliffhanger on Wednesday afternoon's basketball championship game of the Civil Service Anniversary Sportsfest 2024 at the Capitol ground, Cagayan de Oro City.
In a see-saw match that kept both camps' supporters on their toes, the favored Panthers who were in trouble but took the lead back by six in the final one minute of the ballgame saw their biggest headache Jeff Morial almost spoiled the party.
Unloading one basket after another to carry the fight for the ragtag Blue Eagles, Morial saw Ellevera open for a floater, followed by his own 3-pointer to cut the lead down by nil, 63-64.
Anchored by the dynamic fivesome of Jade Abacahin, Maher Eduave, Franz Tumanda, Jupiter Candano and Bryan Edulan, the Panthers committed an error in their last ball possession, thus giving Morial and company to make a play with only 5 seconds remaining.
Morial got the inbound from Ellevera, but Eduave quickly rushed for a hassle and swiped the ball which failed to draw a whistle from the referees with time ticking away.
"Sayang, pero patsada kaayo nga dula nalingaw gyod ang manan-away," enthused Capitol sportsman Reynan Fuentes.
The 50-something Abacahin, former star forward of the now extinct Acsat Bluesharks led the back-to-back champion Black Panthers with 22 points.
Beefed up by the personnel of the Provincial Sports Development Office, the Blue Eagles got 25 markers from Morial in their second consecutive loss by one point.
