UV, RP SEAG Five play tune-up

The University of the Visayas Green Lancers made good use of their rest day last night by playing the Thailand-bound RP SEA Games quintet in a tune-up game at the San Juan Arena.

The Green Lancers have been idle for days so Coach Elmer “Boy” Cabahug arranged for the friendly as part of the team’s preparation for its semifinal game against the STI Olympians on Monday, November 26.

Game time is 2 p.m. at the San Juan Arena. The other semifinal match pits Ateneo against UST at 4 p.m.

This is a game that the Green Lancers don’t want to slip from their fingers. If the Green Lancers beat STI, they will face the winner between Ateneo and UST for the championship on Wednesday, November 28.

The winner of the CCL gets a total package of P500,000 in form of funding/scholarship. But the most important accolade would be the bragging rights of being the best collegiate team in the country. 

That would be thinking a little bit ahead. The Green Lancers have to take care of STI first. The latter team is no pushover after its 77-72 win against the more fancied FEU Tamaraws last Wednesday.

In that game, STI showed why they are the reigning champion of the National Athletics Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities.

The Olympians shocked the Tamaraws by taking the first quarter 20-14. In the remaining three quarters, the Olympians withstood repeated rallies by FEU and held them to a 51-all deadlock at the end of third. STI then went for the jugular and outscored FEU 26-21 in the last quarter to earn a resounding victory.

For its part, UV, the seven-time CESAFI champion, blasted Lyceum 101-80 and the University of Mindanao 78-58 to book a Final Four appearance for the first time.

Coach Boy Cabahug is not taking STI for granted. “They are strong and matured. Most of their players come from other schools. These players don’t have what we call “playing years,” and so they are bunch in STI.” Cabahug told The FREEMAN during an interview.

What worries Cabahug right now is that his players have been idle for the last four days. After their victory over the UM Wildcats they have been cooling their heels that may cause some rustiness in his players.

Cabahug said they have been practicing to maintain their form and at the same time scouted their upcoming opponents during those rest days.

For their game against STI, Cabahug will again need his big men 6’11” Fil-Am giant Gregory Fuentes Slaughter and 6’7” slotman Rico Berami to control the paint.

Then there’s Ariel Mepaña, Michael Luga, Von Harry Lañete, Christ Victor Diputado and Ritchum Dennison.

The Green Lancers are the only “outsider” among the four remaining teams. UV’s best finish in the tournament was third place in the 2003 edition and Coach Boy Cabahug hopes to surpass that this year. (With reports from Caecent No-ot Magsumbol and Gabby G. Malagar.)