Games today
Cebu Coliseum
1:00 p.m. – CEC vs UV (Jrs.)
2:30 p.m. – Don Bosco vs CIT-U (Jrs.)
4:00 p.m. – SHS-AdC vs USC (Jrs.)
Given one more chance, John Lloyd Luz seized the moment and made the University of San Carlos (USC) pay as he nailed a three-pointer with a tenth of a second left to lift the defending champions Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras to a pulsating 79-77 win last in the 15th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.
After playing poorly in the past few games, Luz stepped up to the plate when the Cobras needed him the most as he scored 20 points and added two rebounds and two assists.
Still, it would have been all for naught had it not been for his heroic shot.
Down a point and with possession after USC’s reinforcement Shooster Olago was called for a three-second violation, two-time league MVP Mac Tallo received the ball on the left wing and drove it along the baseline. With the basket covered by a phalanx of Warriors defenders, Tallo found an open Luz in the corner.
Without hesitation, the former Far Eastern University Tamaraw fired it up as the ball hit nothing but the bottom of the net to give the Cobras the lead, the win and vengeance against the Warriors who bested them in the first round, 64-76.
After a subpar outing in their loss to the University of the Visayas (UV) last Thursday, Tallo bounced back and had a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds peppered with four assists.
Forward Jan Auditor also helped out with a dozen points to give SWU its fourth win in six games.
USC, which fell to 6-1 (win-loss), got 20 points and 14 boards from Olago, and 14 markers from Victor Rabat.
CIT-U SHOCKS UV
The thrilling main game was the cherry on top of a day full of shockers as the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats upset the 10-time league champions UV Green Lancers, 93-88.
The Wildcats’ dynamic duo of Joshua dela Cerna and Allan Dimco proved to be unstoppable as they each had 28 points with the latter adding eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. The guards of CIT-U also sparkled with Marlo Pono chipping in 17 and Wilkins Sanchez getting nine rebounds, five assists and five steals.
CIT-U came out strong and led, 21-9, behind dela Cerna who scattered 12 points in an assortment of perimeter jumpers in the first.
The veteran Lancers clawed back and tied the game, 46-all, at halftime.
The count remained tied at 72-all at the start of the fourth when the Wildcats made their move and led, 79-74.
UV stayed close and pulled to within three, 82-85, but CIT-U was unfazed as dela Cerna and Dimco countered with midrange jumpers to push the lead to nine, 2:51 to go.
In the juniors division, the titleholders Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu remained in a class of their own as they routed the University of Cebu Baby Webmasters, 76-62, while the University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars also triumphed over Don Bosco, 71-42.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
