The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras rallied from 19-points in the fourth period to carve a 105-93 victory over South Korea’s Han Yang University and settled for third place in the Asian University Basketball Championship (AUBC) Battle of Champions at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Cobras had a sluggish game allowing Hang Yang to erect an improbable 82-63 third quarter lead. In the final canto, however, SWU came back strong and started to press the ball carriers of the Koreans.
The ploy worked perfectly as the Koreans crumbled like a delicate house of card possession after possession. The Cobras choked the Koreans, who couldn’t but a basket in more six minutes of play, in the final period.
The Cobras rushed to a 22-0 run in the final quarter to take its first lead 85-83 after a basket by Alfred Belandre. The rest was history as the Cobras completely outplayed the confused Koreans.
Eric Zanoria finished with 38 points to lead the Cobras even as Belande scored 21 points. The duo were inflicted the most harm to the Koreans, as they scored most of the 42 points the Cobras scored in the fourth quarter rampage.
Kim Woo Kyun and Song Chang Yong were Han Yang’s top scorers of the ballgame while Lee Sang Il added 15 points. Baskeball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) president, former Congressman Prospero “Butch” Pichay, Jr., who arrived in time for the championship game between UV and China, awarded the trophies to the Cobras and Hang Yang.
As of this writing, the UV Green Lancers are battling Huaquiao University for the championship.
The scores:
SWU (105) – Zanoria 38, Belande 21, Armecin 10, Pacquaio 8, Poligrates 7, Diango 7, Nuñez 4, Divinagracia 4, Litorja 4, Jalandoni 2
Han Yang (93) – Song 21, Kim 21, Lee 15, Lee 12, Lee 11, Song 3, Gin 2