UV Lancers live up to age-old battlecry

CEBU, Philippines — "Visayanians fight best when the odds are greatest."

The University of the Visayas (UV) Lancers lived up to that age-old battlecry in coming up with a back-to-back double championship in the 2018 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Partner's Cup at the Cebu Coliseum just two nights ago.

UV swept both the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters and the Organique California-University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers in their best-of-three finals to win the collegiate and juniors division titles, respectively.

And they did it in style.

The Baby Lancers faltered in their first game against the Baby Panthers but bounced back with aplomb, racking up five straight wins to set up a grudge title match with their tormentors.

After soundly beating USPF in the series opener, 68-59, the Baby Lancers had to endure an early 12-point deficit in Game 2 before finishing off the Baby Panthers, 80-65. The decisive victory was capped by a thunderous one-handed slam dunk by Mar Leandro Actub that wowed fans from both sides.

"It wasn’t easy. The Baby Lancers lost their first game of the tournament but rebounded to take it all," said UV Basketball team manager Gerald Anthony 'Samsam' Gullas in his congratulatory message for his team posted on his Facebook page.

Likewise, the Lancers' crowning glory in the collegiate level wasn't served on a silver platter.

After scoring a clean 6-0 sweep in the elimination round that vaulted them to a championship showdown with the Webmasters, the Lancers' campaign was dealt with a big blow when their 6-foot-8 import Lassina Coulibaly from Ivory Coast

dislocated his right knee late in the first quarter.

Despite that, the Lancers still showed great fighting form to draw first blood against the Webmasters in sterling fashion, 78-60.

In Game 2, all the odds are stuck against the Lancers. They played with an all-local crew and sank into an 11-point hole early in the second half.

But as they say, you cannot underestimate the heart of champions.

Thanks to the endgame heroics of Michael Maestre and Rey Anthony Suerte, and a spate of spectacular defensive stops in the dying seconds of the contest, the Lancers eventually snuffed the air out of UC's nose, 76-71.

“I’m happy. Gi-prove lang namo nga makadaog mi bisa’g way import,” said an ecstatic UV coach Gary Cortes.

But no one could have been prouder of their monumental feat, which they also achieved in last year's CESAFI regular season, than Samsam Gullas.

"The Green Lancers lost their import during Game 1 of the finals to an injury. But they proved that even without an import, they can win it all. Congratulations to all of you," said Gullas. (FREEMAN)