John Abad of UV scoots in for a layup against three UC defenders in yesterday’s Cesafi seniors basketball game at the Cebu Coliseum. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)
The wounded lion often poses the most dangerous threat. This, the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters found out the hard way as the reigning champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers roared to a dominant 91-46 victory in the Cesafi men’s basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.
Still smarting from the 60-67 upset loss that they suffered at the hands of the unheralded Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats last Sunday, the Lancers imposed their will early and held the Webmasters to an all-time low for points scored in a single period as they zoomed off to a 25-1 lead after the opening quarter.
UC would have suffered the embarrassment of going scoreless for an entire period had it not been for the looseball foul that was called on UV guard Miko Marquez with 0.5 of a second left. With the Lancers already in the penalty situation, Garciano Puerto split his charities to finally put UC on the board.
The Webmasters nearly duplicated their one-point effort in the fourth but Kerr Nemil canned a freethrow with just seven seconds left in the game to save UC from the notorious record. UC finished with just two points in the final canto.
Philippine Youth Team member Leonard Santillan paced the Lancers with 15 points while John Abad added 13 markers. Jan Soliva chipped in 10 points for UV, who played without import Jeffakins Aguara and reserve guard June Manzo.
UC actually put up a fight and were within 10, 32-42, early in the third period before UV revved up its engine once again and pulled away, 60-44, behind shots by Abad, Alwyn Aguirre and Chris Perolino, who beat the third period buzzer with a three pointer from the corner.
Jan Auditor paced UC with 13 points. Both UV and UC now tote identical 1-1 (win-loss) records.
In the juniors division, the 2012 champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles clobbered the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Baby Panthers, 78-59.
Joshua Sinclair led the way for the Magis Eagles with 16 points while power forward Jan Jaboneta had a complete game of 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals.