Cobras stop Webmasters, nears 1st Partners trophy

CEBU, Philippines - The Hotel Fortuna/SWU Cobras stopped Enervon/UC Webmasters to score a solid 93-83 victory in Game 3 to move within a game of winning the championship of the 3rd CESAFI Partners’ Cup after last Saturday's game at the Cebu Coliseum.

With a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five championship series, the Cobras could wrap it up Tuesday for their first ever Partners’ Cup title. The Cobras will be doubly inspired to win after team owner Lorenzo “Chao” Sy promised a trip to Singapore, for the team, if they bag the title.

Sy is the regional director of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) in Cebu.

Cobra’s coach Dodie Miego, however, cautioned that UC is capable of coming back and it would be too early to tell. “Dili pa ta kaseguro ana kay basin motabla pa ang UC,” (We’re not sure yet because UC could still tie the series.) was all Miego could say when pressed if they could finish the series on Tuesday.

Miego has a point.

In Game 3, UC made a last ditch effort to snatch the game. With 9:17 left in the fourth quarter, Robinson Mohamad sank a triple to cut SWU’s lead to 62-65.

It didn’t take long for SWU to answer back. Eleazar Armecin netted a trey to pad the lead 68-62 for the Cobras. Armecin’s heroics was shortlived as he was carried off a stretcher after suffering a bad fall while jostling for ball possession against UC’s Kevin Quilantang. The latter was whistled for unsportsmanlike foul that drew howls of protest from the UC bench and supporters.

After the freethrows and ensuing plays, SWU took control of the game with a 79-70 lead going into the last 5 minutes.

SWU’s strategy going into the game was to put UC 6’9” center Jhun Mar Fajardo into foul trouble. They succeeded and the Cobras fished Fajardo’s sixth foul midway in the final period.

The Cobras also put the cuffs on three other UC players, limiting Kelvin Juliane, Moncrief Rogado and Edward to their most miserable input in the series combining only for 10 points.

The Webmasters muffed their charities, missing some freebies after the Cobras entered penalty situation with only three minutes gone by in the fourth period. The miscues from the line caused them the game.

Alfred Belande, whose triple made it 86-75 for SWU led the winners with 23 points. Eric Zanoria added 16 and Armecin had 14.

Fajardo topscored for the Webmasters with 38 points while Janssen Abella finished with 14 markers.

The scores:

Hotel Fortuna/SWU (93) – Belande 23, Zanoria 16, Armecin 14, Pacquiao 12, Poligrates 11, Jalandoni 4, Litorja 3, Pria 3, Gallarde 3, Divinagracia 2, Diango 1

Enervon/UC (83) – Fajardo 38, Abella 14, Mohamad 7, Pao 5,  Quilantang 4, Agas 4, Luceño 4, Rogado 3, Juliane 2, Babad 2

Halftime: 42-36. – THE FREEMAN