Jed Cedrick Colonia of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu stretches for a layup against a University of the Visayas defender in their juniors match of the 2016 Cesafi basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum yesterday (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON).
The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles authored yet another blowout in a long string of many, this time adding the University of the Visayas (UV) to the list as they crushed the Baby Lancers, 74-45, in the 16th Cesafi juniors basketball tournament on Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum.
While the final margin of victory failed to reach their recent average of 39.6, Ateneo de Cebu was nevertheless nigh untouchable as they set the tone early, pushed the pace often and defended like their lives depended on it to earn the win and grab hold of the solo lead in the standings at 6-1 (win-loss).
Andrew Velasco led the winners in scoring with 19 points while left-handed pivotman Christian Manaytay came off the bench and punched in 12.
The game’s result was decided early as the Magis Eagles zoomed off to 13-2 lead after two free-throws by Errol Pastor off a disqualifying foul on UV’s Ivan Maata who was caught punching the former in the gut with 5:23 remaining in the first.
Ateneo de Cebu then pushed their lead to 40-17 at halftime as they held the Baby Lancers to a mere six points in the second and capped off that stretch with a 10-2 blast punctuated by consecutive triples by Koko Tuadles and Velasco.
The entire second half was a mere lesson in formality as the lead grew to a high of 32, 69-37, after two more triples from Velasco.
UV got 12 points from Jancork Cabahug who came off the bench but struggled to find his rhythm against Ateneo de Cebu’s swarming defense. The Baby Lancers also failed to get newly-elevated head coach Phil Mercader a win as they dropped to 3-2.
In the other juniors match, the University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars got past the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Baby Panthers, 71-64.
USJ-R thus improved their record to 4-2 while USPF lost for the fifth time in six games.
In the college division match, UV snatched thier seventh victory in eight matches by trampling the listless Cebu Institue of Technology-University Wildcats, 80-69.
CIT-U dropped to 0-7.