UV’s Gileant Delator, seen here playing against SWU-Phinma in the Partner’s Cup, scored 19 points against La Salle. CDN Digital photo | Jonas Panerio
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The three-time defending Cesafi champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers continued to struggle in the 34th Kadayawan Sports Festival Commercial Invitational Basketball Tournament as they got beaten by the De La Salle University Green Archers, 76-97, on Tuesday evening, August 13, 2019, at the Almendras Gym in Davao City.
Playing without 6-foot-10 center Lass Coulibally, UV had a difficult time containing La Salle’s talented center Justin Baltazar, who came away with 23 points.
And with no man in the middle, guard Jordan Bartlett exploded for 22 points to help La Salle clinch a seat in the finals against fellow UAAP team, the National University Bulldogs.
UV, which remained winless in three games so far, got 19 points from Gileant Delator and 11 more from Melvin Butohan.
Meanwhile, the other Cesafi team in this tournament, the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Cobras, got beaten by the Bulldogs, 63-74.
SWU-Phinma led by double-figures after the first canto but suffered the rest of the way after eight different players got in foul trouble.
NU’s foreign student-athlete Issa Gaye led the Bulldogs with 14 points while super sophomore Dave Ildefonso added 12 markers. Red Cachuela scored 18 points to lead the Cobras while Lamine Thiam was held down to just 16 markers.
SWU-Phinma and UV will tangle for third place honors and the P40,000 cash prize on Wednesday, August 14, 2019, at 5 p.m. /bmjo