UC’s Frederick Elombi battles UV’s Bassier Sackor for a rebound in Game 2 of the 2017 Cesafi Finals. CDN file
Frederick Elombi’s days in a University of Cebu (UC) jersey may be numbered.
According to a source, Elombi – the school’s powerhouse big man from Cameroon – is in the hot seat after two straight underwhelming performances, the last one being a five-point stinker that deadened M. Lhuillier-UC’s cause in their 60-78 loss to the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers in the series opener of the Cesafi Partner’s Cup Preseason Tournament finals last Sunday.
Elombi shot 2-of-9 from the field and pulled down 18 rebounds. However, he didn’t help matters by committing seven of the team’s 24 turnovers.
According to the source, the management’s disenchantment with Elombi comes from the apparent lack of improvement. The source however, stressed that no moves are being undertaken with the Webmasters still in the thick of the Cesafi Partner’s Cup finals.
As for Game 2, UC head coach Yayoy Alcoseba remarked that he hopes his wards would do better especially in handling UV’s pressure defense.
“We actually practiced how to break their press but it was not executed. We hope to do better in the next game,” said the multi-titled mentor.
UV, on the other hand, is intent on finishing off its rivals in Game 2. However, they would have to do it without Ivorian Lassina Coulibally, who suffered a dislocated patella early in Game 1 and will be out for the rest of this series, and quite possibly, for the upcoming Cesafi season.
In spite of that, UV head coach Gary Cortes believes that he has imparted enough will and determination in his wards to push them to get the title-clinching victory, even without their foreign stud.
“We have lost Coulibally but never our will to win. As I have told our players in our daily practices: ‘put pride in yourself and never give up a point easily.’ That’s why they played stellar defense all throughout Game 1,” said the two-time Cesafi champion coach.
Aside from limiting Elombi, UV’s vice-like defense also kept UC’s ace guard Darrell Shane Menina to also five points on 2-of-12 shooting.
Cortes, however, said that they never set out to play defense with any one player in mind.
“We never planned to limit any one particular player. We just want to limit their scoring since you really can’t stop them all,” he added.
Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
Finals
5 p.m. – USPF vs UV (High School)
6:30 p.m. – UV vs UC (College)