UV gets back at first-round tormentor USC in Cesafi

Jayson Balabag of UV fakes off USC’s Lucky Ecarma in the Cesafi men’s basketball game at the Cebu Coliseum.  (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers claimed revenge over the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors with a 70-69 squeaker in an intensely fought game that kicked off the second round of eliminations in the 17th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Green Lancers made sure there would be no stunning upset this time around as they erased an 11-point deficit and leaned on the clutch shotmaking of league MVP Rey Suerte before holding on in the final seconds to register their sixth win in seven games.

Suerte scored 26 points and capped his Sunday off with a short jumper in the lane and a free-throw that gave the Lancers a 69-62 lead with 2:27 to go. Suerte also tacked on eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks.

But USC, which dealt UV its only (78-73) loss of the competition during the season opener, was far from done as Arc Gabrielle Araw-Araw made two freethrows and John Saycon scored a layup off a baseline drive to bring the Warriors to within three, 66-69, with 17.5 seconds left.

After Sheldon Gahi split his charities, USC quickly found Saycon, who dialed from long distance and connected on a triple to bring the Warriors to within one, 69-70, time down to 7.9 seconds.

USC fouled UV forward Monic Soliva who missed both his freethrows. But the Lancers got the ball back after Warriors big man Julius Cadavis tipped the ball out of bounds. USC forced a turnover on the UV inbound play with the ball finding Saycon on the run from halfcourt.

But the rookie forward could not save the Warriors this time around as he couldn’t get a clear handle on the ball and failed to get a shot off as time expired to preserve the Green Lancers’ victory.

Josue Segumpan added 11 points while Liberian forward Bassiere Sackour scored eight and pulled down 13 boards.
USC suffered its second straight loss in spite of Saycon’s 18 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

In the high school division, the four-time defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles remained on track for a top-two finish as they blew away the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Baby Cobras, 84-62.

Versatile left-handed big man Christian Manaytay piled up 23 points, Coco Tuadles added 15 while Patrick Yu scored 12 to get the Magis Eagles their fifth win in six tries and remain half game behind the unbeaten UV Baby Lancers, which are at 6-0.

Finally, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers broke into the win column with a 66-63 victory over the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildkittens.

USPF now stands at 1-6 while CIT-U dropped to 2-5.