Jancork Cabahug of the UV Green Lancers goes for a layup against the UC Webmasters in the 2018 Cesafi Men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum. | CDN Photo Lito Tecson
After a long and arduous pursuit, the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers claimed the top spot in the standings of the 2018 Cesafi men’s basketball tournament with an 80-59 rout of the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters on Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum.
The two teams ended up tied with respective 9-3 (win-loss) records but UV got the top spot by virtue of a higher point difference. The Webmasters won by just seven points, 72-65, over the Green Lancers in their first round encounter.
After starting the season with eight straight wins, things have taken a turn for the worse for UC as it ended the second round with three losses in its last four games.
Things could get even more complicated for the Webmasters if the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars wins against the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats on Tuesday. That situation would create a three-way tie at 9-3 with only the top two getting a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.
UV got off to a fast start, 21-8, but UC made its way back, even briefly taking the lead, 42-40, midway through the third. However, the bottom suddenly fell out for the Webmasters as the Green Lancers uncorked a 16-7 finish to that stretch behind the offensive exploits of Rey Anthony Suerte and Michael Maestre that gave UV a 56-47 lead.
UV then turned the game into a full-blown rout with a 16-4 run in the fourth that all but blew the wind out of the sails of the Webmasters as it gave the Green Lancers their biggest lead of the game at 25, 78-53.
Suerte led the way for UV with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Gileant Delator and Josue Segumpan had 14 markers each. Jancork Cabahug also stepped up with 13 points and eight rebounds.
On the other hand, UC just could not get it going and shot a horrendous 32 percent from the field. Worse, they missed 16 of their 22 attempts from the free-throw line.
Darrell Shane Menina led the Webmasters with 16 points but shot 6-of-20. Frederick Elombi was also anemic, shooting 5-of-18 for 12 points.