Lancers outlast Warriors for 5-0 start in CESAFI

CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas Green Lancers shackled defending champion University of San Carlos Warriors, 72-64, to earn a share of lead in the collegiate division of the 16th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. men's basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

Alfred Codilla and Rey Suerte tallied 17 points each, while Bassieru Sackor banged in 12 markers as the Green Lancers joined the Southwestern University-Phinma Cobras on top of the totem pole with identical 5-0 slates. The Cobras made it five games in a row with a 72-61 triumph of the University of Cebu Webmasters on Saturday night.

Codilla, who also finished with three steals and two rebounds, scored seven straight points in just a one-minute span to give the Lancers their largest lead at 13 points, 63-50.

Efforts of the Warriors to stage a comeback went in vain as Suerte made his shots when it mattered most to help secure the win for the Lancers.

Condrad Catapusan finished with 15 points and Kevin Oleodo had 12 for the Warriors, who suffered their first back-to-back losses this season and dropped to 2-3 overall. 

Earlier, Roy Quiachon hit a put-back with six seconds left in the game to lift the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panthers to a 69-67 cliffhanger over the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats in the battle of winless squads.

In the juniors division, the UC Junior Webmasters unleashed a sizzling offensive in the middle quarters to decimate the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Baby Panthers, 77-49, while the University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars blasted the SWU-Phinma Baby Cobras, 83-62.

  Yannick Enriquez had 12 points, four assists and two rebounds while spunky playmaker Gelmart Umpad finished with 11 points and two steals for the Junior Webmasters, who forged a three-way tie with three-time defending champions Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles and the Don Bosco Greywolves atop the leaderboard with similar 4-1 win-loss cards.

Trailing by a hairline after the first 10 minutes of play, 13-14, the Junior Webmasters of coach Joevir Samonte launched a daring 26-12 counter-attack in the second quarter to take a 39-16 advantage at halftime for good.

The Junior Webmasters sustained their momentum in the third period where they outpointed the Baby Panthers, 21-10, to pad their lead to 24 points, 60-36. They never let their guards down from there onwards to come up with a 28-point blowout.

Rookie player Dennis Cometa had 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while John Joseph Evardo scored nine on top of three rebounds for the Baby Panthers, who stayed winless in four starts. (FREEMAN)