Roderick Cambarijan Jr. of UV drives for an easy layup during the CESAFI Season 24 High School Battle-for-Third. | Photo courtesy of Sugbuanong Kodaker
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers ensured they didn’t conclude their Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 24 campaign empty-handed, clinching third place with a 79-73 victory over the University of Cebu (UC) Baby Webmasters on Tuesday, December 3, at the Cebu Coliseum.
Coming off a heartbreaking 76-79 semifinal loss to the defending champions, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, on November 29, the seven-time CESAFI high school titlists demonstrated resilience and championship pedigree in their season finale.
The Baby Lancers surged ahead by as many as 17 points, 58-41, in the second half, overcoming a shaky start marked by 11 lead changes and five deadlocks.
UV’s dominant performance was powered by Roderick Cambarijan Jr., who led all scorers with 17 points, seven rebounds, and six steals on an efficient 6-of-12 shooting clip.
Although Cambarijan was the only Baby Lancer to score in double figures, Kenneth Calvine Cole, John Nethan Dela Torre, and Jireh Caro each chipped in eight points, contributing to the team’s balanced effort.
On the other side, UC’s Carlo Salgarino led the Baby Webmasters with 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Allen Doverte also added 15 points, while Keith David Buot scored 13 in a valiant but ultimately unsuccessful comeback attempt.
Trailing by a significant margin, UC mounted a spirited fourth-quarter rally, cutting the deficit to just six points, 71-77.
They had a golden opportunity to close the gap further when Dirk Allen Callora committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Doverte with 14.2 seconds remaining, giving UC possession. Adding to the intensity, Kyle Francis Bayog was fouled while attempting a three-pointer. However, Bayog succumbed to the pressure, missing one of his three free throws.
UC’s last-ditch effort was thwarted when Jake Lordwin Yong’s desperation triple was blocked. Forced to foul, UC sent Dela Torre to the line, where he calmly drained both free throws to seal the Baby Lancers’ victory.
UV’s bench played a pivotal role, outscoring UC’s reserves 49-20. Although the Baby Webmasters dominated the paint with a 42-32 advantage in interior scoring, UV capitalized on turnovers, converting them into 20 points compared to UC’s 14. The Baby Lancers also excelled in transition, outscoring UC 22-18 on fast breaks.