Ateneo de Cebu, UV begin titular showdown

Games today:
5 p.m. – USPF vs CIT-U
6:30 p.m. – SHS-AdC vs UV (Game 1)

Both the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles and the University of the Visayas (UV) have not forgotten the wounds that their teams have inflicted on one another in each of their finals showdowns in the last three seasons of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) juniors basketball tournament.

In order to get over the past, the two teams do battle today in Game 1 of the best-of-three  championship series set at 6:30 p.m. following the knockout game for third place honors between the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Panthers and the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildkittens at 5 p.m.

Odds are just about even between the Eagles and the Baby Lancers, who have bitterly fought over juniors supremacy in the city in each of the last three seasons of the Cesafi.

The Baby Lancers last claimed the crown in 2011 when they upended a loaded Magis Eagles squad that led the best-of-five series, 2-1, and were ahead by 10 in the fourth period of the deciding Game 5 before eventually collapsing to lose the game and the title.

The following season, the two squads met again. Only this time, the Magis Eagles were not denied as they swept their rivals, 3-0, and completed a perfect season behind league MVP Dawn Ochea and star guard Arc Gabrielle Araw-Araw.

With each team holding a title at the expense over the other, something is expected to give and the respective head coaches of both squads expressed their teams’ readiness to go at it full throttle.

“I will make sure to cover the bases and prepare the players physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” said SHS-AdC’s tactician Rommel Rasmo.

The long-time Eagles mentor expressed his wariness at facing off against UV’s formidable guard duo of Orlan Wamar and JC Escalona who he tagged as the “best guard in high school basketball.” “But I am confident that my guards can defend them.”

UV’s multi-titled head coach Delfin Pepito, on the other hand, said he has already adjusted his game plan in order to crack the puzzle that SHS-AdC poses.

“We already made some adjustments with our defensive gameplan,” he said.

The Baby Lancers have not beaten the Eagles in their two meetings this season, falling in the elimination round, 71-74, and again in the semifinals, 57-74.