After testing the waters in the first two quarters, the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers whipped up a furious offensive storm in the final half to slay the Lyceum University Pirates, 101-80, and advance into the Round of Eight in the Collegiate Champions League (CCL) yesterday at The Arena in San Juan, Metro Manila.
The seven-time CESAFI champion UV Lancers were tentative in their attacks at first but slowly picked things up as the game progressed. They flustered the Pirates with a torrid outside shooting in the third period and then launched a spirited endgame assault to thrash their foes by 21 points.
“We were just scouting them (Lyceum) in the first half. We started to dominate them in the third quarter when the outside shooting of my players clicked,” said UV head coach Elmer “Boy” Cabahug. “Their defense also collapsed because of our taller and bigger frontline,” added the decorated bench tactician.
Trailing by three at the break, 37-40, the UV Lancers torched the net with pin-point accuracy in the third quarter to turn the tables on the Pirates via a sizzling 35-20 rally. As a result, they proceeded into the final 10-minute zone of the contest brandishing a dozen-point advantage, 72-60.
The UV Lancers closed the battle with a 29-20 bang for the 21-point demolition. Overall, the Visayanians outlasted the Pirates in the final half by 24 markers, 64-40.
Four UV players submitted twin figures led by Ritchum Dennison with 20 points. Top center Rino Berami added 16 followed by Ariel Mepaña and Chris Victor Diputado with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
6-foot-7 Fil-Am Gregory Fuentes Slaughter also asserted his towering presence at the shaded lane to finish with eight points for the Lancers, who will face next the University of Mindanao (UM)-Davao for a semifinal berth at 2 pm on Monday still at the Arena.