Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. – SHS-AdC vs USPF (High School)
6:30 p.m. – USJ-R vs CIT-U (College)
The University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers lived up to their lofty billing as they blitzed the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, 82-72, in the 17th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament on Sunday night at the Cebu Coliseum.
Tagged as one of the teams to look out for this season, the Panthers unveiled a lethal transition game anchored on a frenetic defense led by 6-foot-9 Nigerian Rich Managor, to overhaul an early deficit and eventually blow the Wildcats out of the water.
USPF trailed, 20-25, after the first and were still behind, 31-35, when it uncorked 15 unanswered points behind the red-hot shooting of Edwin Villarta, Lyndon Colina and Rodelio Cauba, who led the team in scoring with 22 points.
When the dust cleared, the Panthers had erected a 46-35 halftime lead, but the Wildcats fought to get within five, 62-67, behind the scoring of crafty lefty forward Mark Kong.
But that proved to be CIT-U’s last hurrah as Cauba scored a deuce and Mhike Patalinghug added three straight fastbreak layups to push their lead back to double figures, 75-62, with under five minutes remaining in the ball game.
Though nobody else reached double-digit scoring for USPF, Colina, Patalinghug and Avancena each had nine points. Managor was quiet on the offensive end with just four points but had 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots.
Kong scored 17 to pace CIT-U.
CIT-U tries to bounce back today when it faces off against the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars in the main game at 6:30 p.m.
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