Games today:
(Cebu Coliseum)
5 pm – CEC vs USPF (Jrs.)
6:30 pm – SWU vs CIT-U (Srs.)
Dan Lagbas of SWU gets a screen from teammate Bendly Valdor against USC at the Cebu Coliseum. (CDN PHOTO/BRIAN J. OCHOA)
The Board of Trustees of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) has upheld the decision of league commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy to allow Southwestern University’s (SWU) Bendly Valdor to replace injured import Justin Aboude this season.
This was the consensus of the board during their meeting last Tuesday night in light of the protest that was filed by the University of San Carlos (USC).
USC claimed that Valdor, a standout from Deerfield Beach High School in Florida, should not have been allowed to replace Aboude, who has been sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease, because he was not properly screened.
In a statement released by the Cesafi yesterday, it said “After careful review, reflection and deliberation, the Cesafi Board has determined that the decision of the Commissioner to allow Bendley Valdor to replace Justin Aboude in the Cesafi 2014 basketball tournament is justified.”
Tiukinhoy had already decreed Valdor to be eligible to play in a letter that was sent to all the participating schools last week. In that letter, he cited “humanitarian reasons” and the “spirit of sportsmanship” in allowing Valdor to play. However, USC took exception and contended that Valdor’s inclusion had come after the screening of athletes.
This development means that the 6-foot-2 wingman from Haiti will get to play today when the Cobras seek their second win of the season against the surprising Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats tonight at 6:30 pm.
CIT-U is riding high on the momentum of its 67-60 victory over the University of the Visayas (UV) last Sunday, its first over the Green Lancers in the 14-year history of the league.
Though he went scoreless in his first game against the USC, Valdor brings with him impressive credentials. During his senior year for the Deerfield Beach High School Bucks, he averaged 7.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 21 games. His current teammates also believe that it is only a matter of time before Cebuano fans get to see his true potential.
“He’s going to be unstoppable. He flew in just last week and had only a couple of practices before playing against USC. He’s going to be very hard to guard, not just in Cebu but even against the rest of the other teams in the country,” SWU’s resident import Landry Sanjo said.
In the juniors division, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Baby Panthers aim to bounce back from their sorry 59-78 loss to defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu when they tangle with the Cebu Eastern College Dragons at 5pm.