Rubbermatch on today for Cesafi basketball title

THE University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars will be looking to put an end to a 25-year title drought today when they battle the “three-peat-seeking” University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers in the deciding Game 3 of the 2018 Cesafi men’s basketball tournament at what is expected to be a rocking Cebu Coliseum.

The Jaguars were able to tie the series up at 1-1 after they won Game 2, 68-58, on Saturday night. It was a scintillating performance in an intense game that went down the wire before crucial baskets by Segamars Ewenike, RJ Dinolan and Nichole Ubalde clinched the equalizing victory.

Nevertheless, USJ-R head coach Leode Garcia, who was part of the last team to win a title for the school back in 1993, said that the players must want it more in Game 3 where every possession counts.

“We’ve already put ourselves in a position to win it all. It’s time to claim it,” said the rookie head coach.

Garcia added that as aggressive as they have been in the first two games of the series, they could still be even more.

“We have to improve our aggressiveness on both offense and defense and we need to minimize our turnovers since we committed 23 in Game 2,” Garcia added.

For UV, their chance for a third straight title would largely hinge on their ability to compose themselves in an emotionally-charged atmosphere especially after head coach Gary Cortes was ejected last time for incurring two technical fouls. Cortes will not be in UV’s bench in Game 3 as he has been automatically slapped a one-game suspension.

One-time MVP Rey Suerte also needs help as he had to hoist up 27 shots in order to tally 17 points. Worse, he struggled from the line, making just 2-of-8. The supporting cast that played incredibly in Game 1 was nowhere to be found in the second game as Jafet Claridad, Jancork Cabahug and Bassiere Sackor, the trio that combined for 48 in the series-opener, only managed a combined 24 points in Game 2.