Yuman/Jacobâs/FitFam and A Plus Consulting advanced to the final four in the upper bracket of the Saipan Centennial Lions Club 3rd Season Invitational Basketball League 2025 on Sunday, after defeating their respective opponents in Game 2 of the best-of-two series held at the TSL Sports Complex.
Yuman secured its spot in the semifinals after edging The New Summit LLC, 79-72.
It was a tightly contested first half with several lead exchanges between both teams.
The New Summit played to its strengths, with Karlo Tacuban and Renren Gaviola doing most of the work in the early minutes, while Joseph Torres and Steve King later joined the fray, showcasing their sharp-shooting skills from beyond the arc with a barrage of triples.
On the other end, Yuman initially relied on the scoring abilities of Rjhay Singca and Sean Apasan, who led the assault with 12 and eight points, respectively. However, timely support from Dan Fernando and Nyrel Eugenio helped Yuman maintain the upper hand, taking a 42-38 lead into halftime.
The action only intensified in the second half.
The New Summit remained effective from the three-point line with endless treys by Torres, King, and Jawn Joyner. Unfortunately, they still lacked the firepower to match Yuman, as the two-man game of Fernando and Singca continued to fuel the team, combining for 18 consecutive points to stay ahead.
In the final minutes, The New Summit was forced to foul to stop the clock, but their efforts proved futile as Yuman shot a high percentage from the charity stripe to secure the win, 79-72.
A Plus Consulting was the other team to reach the final four after easing past Red Eye Rebel/Compadres, 106-86.
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