UV Baby Lancers survive SHS-AdC Magis Eagles to tie Cesafi juniors finals series at 1-1

By: Jonas N. Panerio - 10 years ago

UV and SHS-AdC players scramble for the loose ball in this bit of Cesafi juniors finals action at the Cebu Coliseum. (CDN [PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

Amidst a sea of blue and white, the lean, mean, green fighting machine known as the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers stood defiant, winning Game 2 in come-from-behind fashion, 59-56, over the fancied Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles in the Cesafi juniors basketball finals yesterday at the packed Cebu Coliseum.

The Baby Lancers fought best with their backs against the wall as they bucked losing a 10-point lead and overhauled a 52-56 deficit with a little over two minutes remaining by scoring the game’s last seven points to log the win and force a winner-take-all Game 3 slated this Saturday.

The Eagles trailed by as many as 10, 21-31, before closing the gap to five, 26-31, at halftime after a triple by Emilio Nacua and two freebies by Zachy Huang off an unsportsmanlike foul on UV center Samuel Schaub.

The Eagles continued their charge and staggered the Baby Lancers with a 15-2 blast during a stretch where UV appeared to be headed towards an imminent collapse, committing an unsportsmanlike and a technical foul while surrendering easy inside points to Eagles’ forward Joshua Sinclair to fall behind, 46-41, late in the third.

SHS-AdC remained in the driver’s seat and held a four-point cushion, 56-52, after Nacua hit another three-pointer with 2:15 remaining.

But UV surged ahead, 57-56, after a free throw by Joshua Flores, a pull-up jumper by JC Escalona and a strong drive by Orlan Wamar with 1:02 to go.

The breaks of the game then went UV’s way as a Schaub miss caromed back to Wamar, who was fouled and promptly hit two from the line.
Escalona led UV with 19 points and nine rebounds.