UV closes in on eighth CESAFI title

CEBU – Moments after he was honored as the league's MVP, 6-foot-11 man mountain Gregory Slaughter delivered another monstrous performance, charting a game-high 29 points as seven-time champion University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers scored a repeat 71-61 win over the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five finals series in the 8th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Lancers, thus, moved just one win away from completing an unprecented eight straight CESAFI title. They can achieve that historic feat via sweep in tomorrow's Game 3 that will be covered by Solar Sports and will be aired on Tuesday begging at 5 pm.

Slaughter automatically made it to elite Mythical Five cast alongside teammate Von Harry Lanete, Jun Mar Fajardo of UC0 and Armand Ponce and Luther Luke Justiniani of USJ-R.

Earlier, the Baby Lancers also nailed a 10-point victory, 91-81, against the University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters to even their own race-to-3 series for the juniors division crown at one game apiece. UC's John Marty Pearce was named MVP in the secondary level and was joined in the Mythical Five by teammate Roger Pogoy, Mark Jayven Tallo of CIT and Arvie Cabañero and John Michael Auditor of UV.

The Jaguars actually gave the Lancers a hard time as they dominated the game for more than three quarters. They could have played differently, but their star player Luther Luke Justiani was again a picture of disappointment for the Josenians. He was again held off to only four points in a horrendous 0-of-13 shooting from the field. He missed all his eight attempts from the 3-point land.

Obviously, Slaughter's presence have changed everything including the attempts made by the Jaguars.

Leading by 12 points with just a few seconds gone by in the third period on a triple by Ranulfo Malinao, the Lancers swowly but surely crept back to seize the driver's seat, 52-51, on a undergoal stab by Slaughter to start the fourth period.

The Jaguars quickly countered with five straight points from Jerome Villaver to regain a 56-52 lead with still 8:27 to play, but that proved to be their last hurrah.

The Lancers also replied with a 5-o blast to grab the lead for good, 57-56, on a basket by Bonifer Sendrijas heading into the final seven-minute mark of the contest. Sendrijas was the only other double-digit scorer for UV with 12 points.

John Malinao and Lyndon Gudez were the top scorers for the Jaguars with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Earlier, the UC Webmasters stayed alive in the race for third after pulling off an 87-78 victory in overtime victory over the Univesity of San Carlos (USC) Warriors.

In the secondary division, University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers swept CIT Wildkittens, 84-82, to clinch the third place trophy. – FREEMAN NEWS