Green Lancers rally to edge out Jaguars in Cesafi hoop tourney

The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers authored the great escape as they came all the way back from a seven-point deficit with under two minutes remaining to beat the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, 89-82, in the 15th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Lancers were in control for most of the match but suddenly fell apart in the fourth period  and allowed the resilient Jaguars to take an 80-73 lead off a baseline drive and lay-up by forward RJ Dinolan.

But the battle-hardened Lancers refused to fold and took advantage of the Jaguars’ undersized frontline, which lost all three of their centers – Kevin Villafranca, Edmundo Bayhonan and Nelvin Navarra – due to foul trouble, to score 12 unanswered points and earn their second  win in as many starts.

UV’s Cameroonian big man Steve Akomo scored a three-point play, while Franz Arong made a freethrow to close the gap, 77-80.  After USJ-R guard Jaybie Mantillia briefly stemmed the tide with two free-throws, Akomo once again scored inside and Arong followed with a steal and lay-in, to pull to within one, 81-82, 46.4 seconds left.

The Jaguars actually had a shot to extend the lead but Ricky Peromingan missed two free-throws.

Sensing blood in the water, UV point guard Alfred Codilla went for the kill and went coast-to-coast for a layup while getting fouled. He made the bonus freethrow to give UV back the lead, 84-82, with 36.1 ticks remaining.

Akomo then came up with the game’s biggest defensive play as he rose up to block the floater of Mantilla on USJ-R’s offensive, which led to game-sealing freethrows by Codilla and Arong.

Akomo, who is making a return to the team after he was cut from the squad last year, finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Arong added 17 markers while Leonard Santillan had 16.

USJ-R got 20 from Mantilla and 12 each from Dinolan and Miguel Gastador.  The loss put to waste the incredible efforts of Mantilla, Gastador and yet another rookie, Ricky Peromingan, who fuelled USJ-R’s attack at the start of the final frame to give the Jaguars the lead after trailing by as many as 11 at several points of the match.

In the juniors division, Marc Roa scored 21 points and grabbed 15 boards to push the Cebu Eastern College Dragons past the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation Baby Panthers, 59-49.