UV eyes 6th double title in CESAFI basketball

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Is the University of the Visayas (UV) headed for its 6th double championship title – college and high school – in the 17th CESAFI basketball tournament?

Both the UV Green Lancers and the Baby Lancers are in the finals this season with the high school team needing just one win against the defending champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles to become the junior champions.

They won Game 1 of their Best-of-3 junior title series, 69-59, Tuesday, October 10, at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The senior team, the Green Lancers, on the other hand, will begin their title retention campaign in Game 1 of the Best-of-3 collegiate title series against the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, Wednesday, October 11.

“Mao jud nay first namo na target sa mga coaches at tsaka sa management, we are looking at a double championship, hopefully,” said Green Lancers head coach Gary Cortes. (That is our first target, us coaches and the management.)

Cortes added that during his time as a Green Lancer, they were able to win both junior and collegiate titles, so now as a coach, he hoped that they would be able to do it again.

UV were double champions in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and the last in 2007.

While the Green Lancers are gunning for their 12 title this season, the Baby Lancers are vying for their 7th.

Both teams hold the distinction of having the most number of titles in the CESAFI basketball.

The Green Lancers have constantly been in the finals, while the last time that the Baby Lancers were in the finals prior to this season was in 2014 when they lost to the Magis Eagles. – Rappler.com