USJ-R and UC gun for second victory

Last year’s semifinalist University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars and the unpredictable University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters go up against each other today, with the winner gaining a share of lead in the 8th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season at the Cebu Coliseum.

Games today

(Cebu Coliseum)

4:30 pm DBTC vs. UC (Jrs.)

6 pm UC vs. USJ-R (Srs.)

Both USJ-R and UC got off to the best possible start they could. The Jaguars mangled the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 78-67, while the Webmasters stunned the much-favored Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras, 91-86.

The Jaguars and the Webmasters are set to clash at 6 pm. The victor will join the 2-0 University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors atop the leaderboard.

In comparison, the Jaguars are more cohesive than the Webmasters because majority of their players  formed the nucleus of their roster last year except for Jessmar Villahermosa, who transferred to Manila’s UE Warriors and Bobby Hatuge, who is now a member of the coaching staff.

Adding firepower to USJ-R’s offensive arsenal is the return of commercial cager Luther Luke Justiniani to its fold.

However, beating UC maybe easier said than done on the part of the Jaguars because the  Webmasters are capable of springing a major surprise just like what they did to the more solid SWU Cobras last Sunday.

The arrival of Edward Pao and Kevin Quilantang makes the Webmasters a force to reckon with.

The main headache of the Jaguars though is UC’s 6-foot-7 skyscraper Junmar Fajardo, a vastly improved slotman who can explode at any given time. During their game against SWU, Fajardo charted 30 points, 13 rebounds, nine blocks and a steal in a monstrous performance that will surerly send shivers down the spines of his defenders.

The other top guns for UC are Janssen Abella and Kelvin Juliane, who has slowly transformed himself into a more mature and heady playmaker.

Prior to the USJ-R-UC showdown, the UC Junior Webmasters also shoot for their second straight win in as many starts when they collide against the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) Greywolves in the first game at 4:30 pm.