CHAMPS AGAIN
Coaches and players of the Southwestern University whoop it up after winning the Cesafi men’s basketball tournament title last night at the Cebu Coliseum. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)
The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras emphatically erased any doubts as to who were the kings of Cebu collegiate basketball as they thumped the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, 64-49, in the deciding Game 5 of the Cesafi men’s basketball tournament last night at the packed Cebu Coliseum.
Pushed to the hilt by an upstart Warriors team that lacked experience but not bite, the Cobras finally managed to push back as they turned the game around with a sizzling 17-2 run in the first period and never looked back to hoist their second championship in four years.
After getting outplayed in the first four games of the series, Cameroonian import Landry Sanjo rose to the challenge and put his stamp on the season with 20 points, 13 rebounds and four steals.
Afterwards, he took note of how his head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba challenged him before Game 5.
SWU Cobras Head Coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba gets a victory lift after their win against USC Warriors during the CESAFI 2014 finals at Cebu Coliseum.(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
“I just took the challenge head on. I played in the post more in this game and I’m glad that it worked out,” the 6’7 behemoth said after dominating Olago in the rubbermatch. With Sanjo, Daryl Goloran and the rest of SWU’s guards hounding him at every turn, Olago managed just four points on 2-of-9 shooting and committed 10 turnovers.
Mark Jayven Tallo was also superb for SWU after finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds and three steals. He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player afterwards, winning the award for the second year in a row.
“I just really went with the flow in this game. Of course, I was nervous and thought about last year, but I just thought about how this is the first time that they’re playing in this situation so I just wanted to attack, attack and attack,” said a jubilant Tallo.
Mark Tallo of SWU Cobras drives for a layup against Espoir Toyambi of USC Warriors. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)
The Warriors actually led early, 6-2, but the Cobras responded with a 17-2 run anchored on Daryl Goloran, who scored all 12 of his points in the first half, Bernie Bregondo, Sanjo and Tallo to gain a 19-8 led after the first. They extended it to 12, 32-20, at halftime and then broke the dam in the third with a gamebreaking 14-2 surge capped by two free-throws and an incredible lay-up by Tallo over the outstretched arms of Olago for a 46-25 lead, 2:25 remaining.
USC had a glimmer of hope after Charles Pepito hit a three-pointer at the third period buzzer to slice the deficit to 16, 32-48, but consecutive steals and transition baskets by Sanjo and John Lloyd Luz and a triple from straightaway by Tallo shut the door on USC as it gave the Cobras a 60-37 advantage, 6:13 remaining.
Espoir Toyambi was USC’s top scorer with just nine. The Warriors also failed to protect the ball, turning it over a whopping 39 times to hasten their downfall.
Sanjo and Tallo were named to the Mythical Five along with USC’s Victor Rabat, University of San Jose-Recoletos’ Kevin Villafranca and John Abad of the University of the Visayas.
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