UV’s Roderick Cambarijan soars for a layup during their Cesafi Season 24 High School basketball game. | Photo from Sugbuanong Kodaker
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers decisively halted the Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons’ winning streak with a lopsided 99-85 victory in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) Season 24 High School Basketball Tournament on Tuesday, October 1, at the Cebu Coliseum.
The standout performer for UV was forward Roderick Cambarijan, who delivered a stellar double-double, finishing 28 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists, and two blocks on an efficient 13-of-21 shooting from the field in just 28 minutes of play.
With this win, UV improves to a perfect 2-0 to start the season, while CEC suffers its first defeat after winning the first three games of the tournament.
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Cambarijan’s performance was complemented by strong contributions from his teammates. John Dela Torre added 15 points, five rebounds, six assists, and four steals, while Jhunrel Dagatan and Kent Casto contributed 14 and 12 points, respectively.
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Despite several attempts by CEC to narrow the gap, UV consistently regained control.
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“We maintained our defensive consistency from the start, but there were moments of complacency that allowed them to close the gap,” UV head coach Ronald Bucao said.
“I urged the players to intensify their defense, especially in the final period, and fortunately, we were able to sustain that effort until the final buzzer.”
UV built a significant lead, going up by as many as 17 points at 54-31 early in the second half.
On the other side, CEC’s Lybron James Lamo was a bright spot, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal, despite temporarily leaving the game after taking an elbow to the face during a scramble for possession.
Mark Justine Parilla contributed 13 points, while Kenneth Fuller and Reyvene Arobo added 12 and 10 points, respectively, in CEC’s losing effort.