Games today:
Cebu Coliseum
5 p.m. – SHS-Ateneo de Cebu vs UV (Jrs.)
6:30 p.m. – USC vs CIT-U (Srs.)
TWO-TIME defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles and the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers clash once again, this time with the stakes cranked up even higher, in the juniors division semifinals of the 15th Cesafi basketball tournament today at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Magis Eagles have gone unbeaten so far in this tournament and will be gunning to keep things the same way when they face off against an opponent they’re all too familiar with, having bested the Baby Lancers earlier in the season, 73-64, as well as in the finals last year.
But a ninth straight victory will not come easy for the Magis Eagles as they try to stop UV’s rampaging juggernaut, Jancork Cabahug, who towed the Baby Lancers into the semifinals with one monster performance after another against a University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars squad that held a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals.
SHS-AdC has more than enough tools in its arsenal to match up with Cabahug and the rest of the Baby Lancers squad as the Magis Eagles boast of an embarrassment of riches at every position led by rookie revelation Errol Pastor, veteran guard Andrew Velasco and Batang Gilas point man Jed Colonia.
Velasco was lethal against UV in their elimination round meeting as he piled up 22 points.
The top two teams at the end of the single round-robin semifinals will advance to the best-of-three championship series.
In the collegiate division, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats will try to keep their fledgling hopes for the semifinals alive when they match wits with the league-leading University of San Carlos Warriors.