June Manzo of UV loses his balance in the face of the USC defense in Game 3 of the Cesafi men’s basketball finals at the Cebu Coliseum.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON
The University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors are now just a win away from the Cesafi title that they have chased for 15 long years as they took a 2-1 series lead in the men’s basketball finals with a masterful 87-76 victory over the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers in Game Three of the best-of-five finals Thursday night at the Cebu Coliseum.
After getting carved up in the first half by the one-man show of Jun Manzo, who scored 21 points in that stretch, the Warriors came out of halftime a different squad and put the clamps on the latter and the rest of the Lancers, while unleashing an offensive attack anchored on Shooster Olago and Ian Tagapan to get the crucial victory.
Olago scored 27 of his 32 points in the final 20 minutes of play and pulled down 16 rebounds while Tagapan, scored 14 of his 20 markers in the first half to keep the Warriors afloat in the face of the offensive barrage that was uncorked by Manzo, who scored 19 in the second period alone to turn a 13-21 deficit after the first period into a 42-38 lead at halftime.
Charles Pepito, who was a mess in Game Two, was back to his relentless self as he notched a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The Warriors can claim their first Cesafi title in school history with a win in Game Four on Saturday afternoon.
The Warriors started off on the right note as they took an eight point lead after the first after a bucket by Pepito and a buzzer-beating triple from the corner by Victor Rabat.
But UV fought right back and countered with a huge 18-2 salvo anchored on Manzo who seemingly scored at will with a variety of dribble-drive moves and pull-up jumpers that put them in the driver’s seat, 31-23.
Tagapan was up to the task as he went tit-for-tat with Manzo and scored a triple that was followed by back-to-back baskets from Ian Ortega to pull USC within four, 38-42.
The second half, though, was all USC as it kicked off with a 12-2 run that pushed them in front, 50-44. Later, two free throws by Tagapan off the fourth foul by UV sentinel Steve Akomo gave USC an eight-point advantage, 62-54, heading to the final frame.
Olago kept the rhythm going as he scored five quick points at the onset of the fourth to give the Warriors a 13-point lead, 67-54, with 8:50 to go.
Olago finished the Lancers off by scoring six – two free throws, a strong driving layup and a fast break layup – in a brief 8-0 spurt that gave USC its biggest lead of the match at 75-58 with 4:46 remaining.
UV would come no closer than 10 the rest of the way.
With USC’s defense trained on him, Manzo was held down to just four points in the second half and finished with 25. Arvie Cabanero was the only other double-digit scorer for UV with 11.
THE SCORES
USC (87) — Olago 32, Tagapan 20, Pepito 10, Rabat 6, Ortega 4, Lim 3, McAloney 3, Magat 3, Suarez 3, Laguyo 2, Adlawan 1, Maconocido 0, Oleodo 0.
UV (76) — Manzo 25, Cabañero 11, Arong 9, Akomo 9, Santillan 6, Segumpan 5, Codilla 4, Mendoza 3, Suerte 2, Napao 2, Aguirre 0.
Quarter Scores: 21-13; 38-42; 62-54; 87-76.