The University of Visayas Green Lancers at center court after beating UNO-R in Ormoc.
Green Lancers rout UNO-R in PCCL Vis-Min qualifying games in Ormoc
The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers breezed through to the Elite Eight of the 2015 Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) after they blew away the upstart University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) Rams, 76-47, in the Visayas-Mindanao qualifying games championship on Wednesday night at the Superdome in Ormoc City.
With a chance to go up against the very best collegiate teams in all the land at stake, the Lancers did not hesitate to seize the opportunity and started off strong, building a 17-5 lead after the initial 10 minutes of action behind the shotmaking of one-time national youth team member Leonard Santillan and Cameroonian reinforcement, Steve Akomo.
The lead ballooned to 36-20 at halftime and was raised to 19, 56-37, heading to the final canto, where the Lancers eventually cruised to the easy victory.
Akomo, a high-leaping 6-foot-9 center, topped the Lancers in scoring with 16 points.
Afterwards, UV head coach Gary Cortes said that the team is motivated to become the very first champion to come from outside Manila.
The Green Lancers came close back in 2007 with a lineup bannered by the likes of then-rookie Greg Slaughter and former Alaska Aces forward Ariel Mepana but was thwarted by the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
The last Cebu team to make it to the finals of this competition was the Southwestern University Cobras who fell to the La Salle Green Archers in 2013.
“The morale is high and they are excited to play in Manila to showcase their talents and try to become the first provincial team to win the PCCL,” said Cortes, himself a former defensive ace for the Green Lancers who took over the coaching cudgels from Felix “Donbel” Belano late last year.
Cortes added that they wasted no time in preparing for the Elite Eight as they immediately practiced the morning after their victory in Ormoc.
“I’m pretty sure we can give them a run for their money.”
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