Sir Shaquille Imperial of SWU evades the defense of two USPF players in their Cesafi men’s basketball game last Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON).
Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. – USJ-R vs UV (High School)
6:30 p.m. – USJ-R vs UC (College)
In spite of all the controversies that have hounded the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers, they have a shot at grabbing an outright spot in the semifinals and will try to do so today when they battle the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars today in the 16th Cesafi juniors basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.
Game time is at 5 p.m. with UV gunning for a win that would give it a 7-2 (win-loss) card and place it in the semifinals alongside the three-time defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu. A loss would create a four-way logjam at second place with Don Bosco, the University of Cebu (UC) and Cebu Eastern College (CEC). All three squads currently hold similar 6-3 records.
The Baby Lancers played minus suspended stalwarts Joshua Yerro and JJ Rosete but still managed to win over the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma, 86-49, thanks to the efforts of Jhiey Paraldo, Froilan Maglasang and star forward Jancork Cabahug, who nearly had a rare triple-double after scoring 14 points and adding 10 rebounds and seven assists across his name.
In college action, the UC Webmasters try to maintain their hold of the fourth spot when they challenge the USJ-R Jaguars. At 3-6, the Webmasters are just a game ahead of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers in the race for the last ticket to the semifinals.
But toppling the Jaguars will be no easy feat, especially after the 10-man squad beat the defending champions University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, 75-69, in their game late Sunday evening.
The victory gave USJ-R a share of second place in the standings with the reeling University of the Visayas Green Lancers at 6-3. And it was all made possible through the play of Jaybie Mantilla, a cat-quick 5-foot-7 guard, who calmly made two free-throws to tie the game up at 67- all with 1:53 to go.
Moments later, Mantilla scored a lay-in to give the Jaguars the lead before issuing a nifty assist to big man Nelvin Navarra for a 71-67 lead. The Warriors closed the gap, 69-71, after a deuce by rookie big man but Mantilla found Navarra once again for another bucket to give them a four-point cushion, 73-69.
Mantilla then stole the ball shortly after the Warriors inbound it, got fouled and made two from the line to seal the victory. The sophomore guard finished with a huge double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds laced with six assists and two steals.
RJ Dinolan led the Jaguars in scoring with 23 points while Navarra skillfully manned the shaded lane with 10 points and 13 boards.