Mark Tallo of SWU stretches for a layup against the defense of UC. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)
The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras claimed a share of second place in the standings after they out-muscled the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, 71-60, in the 15th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.
The victory was the Cobras’ fifth in seven games to forge a tie with the idle University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers. The two teams are still chasing the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, who currently lead the league with a 6-1 (win-loss) record.
Though leaps and bounds ahead of the curve against the neophyte Webmasters, the Cobras still had to earn the win as UC fought to trim a 28-35 halftime deficit to a single point during the early goings of the third, behind baskets by JR Puerto and Daniel Mayol.
However, the Cobras refused to be rattled and uncorked an 18-5 response sparked by, ironically, a former Webmaster and now turned Cobra, Jan Auditor.
Filipino-Samoan Juju “Baby Rock” Bautista then went to work against the woefully undersized frontline defense of UC, scoring three straight buckets, all inside the shaded lane to help the Cobras build a 53-41 lead heading to the final frame.
An 11-4 start to the fourth capped by a crafty lay-in by John Lloyd Luz that came off a gorgeous hand-off fake and a putback by Mac Tallo pushed the Cobras further ahead, 64-43, 5:22 remaining.
Bautista finished with another double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds.
In the juniors division, the USC Baby Warriors finally broke out of their two-game slump with a 75-58 rout of the University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars.