Lucky Ecarma of USC challenges the CIT-U defense down low in a Cesai men’s basketball game at the Cebu Coliseum.
(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
The University of San Carlos (USC) toyed with the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats before putting them away decisively in the second half to score a 60-39 win in the 17th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the New Cebu Coliseum.
The victory was USC’s third in as many games, placing the Warriors alone at the top of the team standings.
Hardworking forward Malcolm Tan punished his defenders down low and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds while Magic Marata came off the bench and helped out with 11 points. Victor Rabat also had 10 markers.
After a sluggish first half, USC slowly asserted its will in the third, ending that stretch with a 9-1 run punctuated by a three-pointer from Kent Cabanog for a 41-34 advantage.
USC put the game out of reach in the fourth, which it simply dominated and ended with a sizzling 14-2 blast that featured free-throws from Tan, a booming right-wing triple from Rabat and transition makes from Lucky Ecarma and John Reel Saycon.
CIT-U’s wouldn’t recover from that run. Nobody reached double-figures for CIT-U.
The Wildcats’ cause was not helped by the fact that Mark Kong, their ever-reliable forward, was held to just three points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field.
The Wildcats now languish at the bottom of the heap with a 0-3 mark.
In high school action, the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Baby Jaguars continued to impress after winning over the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Baby Cobras, 79-69, to nab their second straight win.
John Gonzaga paced USJ-R with 19 points while much-improved center Arnold Ando submitted 15. Elmer Echavez added 13 to send SWU-Phinma to their first loss of the tournament.
The USC Baby Warriors also emerged victorious as they upset last year’s runners-up, the University of Cebu Baby Webmasters, 64-61.
The win allowed USC to even up their record at 1-1 while UC remains winless in two tries.
Ralph Bande and Clint Octaviano led the Baby Warriors’ balanced assault with nine points apiece.