CESAFI: UV Green Lancers take solo lead after topping USJ-R

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers proved keen on hoisting this year’s Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc (CESAFI) collegiate title after taking the solo lead in just the first week of competition of the senior men’s basketball competition at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The Green Lancers stayed cool despite the heavy challenge dished upon them by the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars to take home a hard-earned 77-70 victory Thursday, August 11, led by their import, Bassieru Sackor of Cameroon, who had a double-double performance of 17 points and 19 rebounds.

Also contributing for the Green Lancers were Alfred Codilla with 11 points and Rey Anthony Suerte, who had 10 points.

UV’s first win in the tournament was at the expense of the Cebu Institute of Technology University (CITU) Wildcats, 69-48, on Sunday, August 7.

While the Green Lancers nailed their second straight win, the Jaguars on the other hand fell to a 1-0 win-loss record after failing to duplicate their performance against the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, 81-75.

The Jaguars, for their part, were topscored by Ralph Jude Dinolan with 22 points. Also scoring in double figures for the USJ-R were Juan Miguel Gastador with his 18 baskets and Jayvie Mantilla, who contributed 11.  

The UV Green Lancers had waxed hot as soon as the game started by posting a 7-point advantage in the first canto, 21-14, and further pulled ahead at the end of the first half with a commanding 15-point lead, 41-26.

Refusing to back down, the USJ-R Jaguars started clawing their way back into the game and successfully brought down the Green Lancers lead to just 7 points, 60-53, going into the final canto.

The Jaguars were relentless and came as close as just a basket away from the Green Lancers, 62-64, following a gift shot from Gastador with just 6 minutes left in the ballgame.

However, after a tumultuous off season which saw the Green Lancers losing star players Leonard Santillan and Jun Manzo to universities in Manila, it seems that the 11-time CESAFI champions are out to prove a point and stayed calm in the face of the Jaguars’ onslaught.

Sackor and Codilla combined efforts to hold the Jaguars at arm’s length and eventually pulled off the win.

In the high school contest, local basketball fans were treated to an explosive return of the Southwestern University (SWU) Baby Cobras who immediately barged into the win column with a 72-64 outsmarting of the Cebu Eastern College Dragons.

The last time that SWU had sent a Baby Cobras team to the CESAFI High School basketball competition was back in 2001. They fielded in a team last year but had to pullout of the competition after their players were found to have tampered birth certificates.

Leading the Baby Cobras was Jun Reign Baculio with his 23 points while the Dragons topscorer was Kaise Dave Manapat who finished with 15 points.  

Scores:

High School

SWU Baby Cobras (72) – Baculio 23, Quijada 13, Rosano 10, Montano 9, Claracay 7, Flores 6, Alit 2, Sevilla 2.

CEC Dragons (64) – Manlapat 15, Tempra 14, Gabutero 8, Gonzaga 10, Casio 6, Sanchez 5, Banez 5, Rey 1.  

College  

UV Green Lancers (77) – Sackor 17, Codilla 11, Suerte 10, Napao 9, Albina 8, Segumpan 8, Gahi 5, Soliva 5, Balabag 2, Macion 2.   

USJ-R Jaguars (70) – Dinolan 22, Gastador 18, Mantilla 11, Navarra 6, Pastias 4, Jopia 3, Catiloc 2, Nunez 2, Peromingan 2.

Schedule for Saturday, August 13, New Cebu Coliseum

1 pm CITU vs SHS-ADC (High School)

2:30 pm UV vs DBTC (High School)

4 pm USPF vs CEC (High School)

5:30 pm CITU vs SWU (College)

– Rappler.com