UV, Ateneo de Cebu book seats in Cesafi hoops finals

Tristan Albina of UV gets past a USC defender in their Cesafi men’s basketball semifinal game at the Cebu Coliseum.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON

BACK IN THE FINALS

The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers took over in the fourth to subdue the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, 81-71, and make their way back to the finals in the 17th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

Also making it back to the finals was the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, which defeated the University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters, 64-61, in the high school division.

Tied at 58-all at the start of the fourth after the Warriors came all the way back from a 15-point deficit, the battle-tested Green Lancers asserted themselves in crunchtime, going on a brief 10-4 rally to take a 68-62 lead.

Later in the period, the Green Lancers hammered the final nail in the Warriors’ coffin with a 8-3 burst capped by a booming straightaway triple from reigning league MVP Rey Suerte that pushed them ahead, 81-68, with 1:22 left.

Five different Green Lancers scored in double figures for UV led by Bassier Sackour’s 16 points and 17 rebounds. Suerte finished with 14 markers and nine rebounds while Monic Soliva pumped in 13. Sheldon Gahi and Josue Segumpan added 12 each.

UV now awaits the winner of the do-or-die game between UC and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R).

Game 1 of the best-of-three finals begins on Wednesday.

In the high school division, the four-time defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles barged into the finals for the seventh straight year but had to overcome a strong showing by UC.

The win sent the Magis Eagles to a best-of-three finals showdown against bitter rivals UV Baby Lancers.

Game 1 will be on Tuesday.

Ateneo de Cebu big man Christian Manaytay led Ateneo de Cebu with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds while Franz Diaz pitched in 10 points, four boards and three steals.