UC Bantams win in opener, gain 1-0 upstart vs. Baby Lancers in fight for third

CEBU, Philippines - The University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters last night averted a strong second-half rally by the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers to hack out a 95-82 victory and take Game 1 of their best-of-three series for third place in the secondary division of the 9th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season at the Cebu Coliseum.

Games tomorrow

 (Cebu Coliseum)

For third

 1:00 pm UV vs. UC (Jrs.)

 2:30 pm USC vs. USJ-R (Srs.)

Finals

 4:00 pm CIT vs. USJ-R (Jrs.)

 6:30 pm UC vs. UV (Srs.)

The Junior Webmasters enjoyed an imposing 60-39 bulge at halftime, but the Baby Lancers hurriedly trimmed the deficit to a sustainable 11-point cushion, 49-60, with still 7:40 left in the third period.

Burly center Alvin Labolabo, Jr., however, ended the UC bantams’ scoring drought by hitting two free throws that sparked a fluid 11-0 burst as the Junior Webmasters all of a sudden regained a commanding 70-49 lead. They never looked back from there onwards.

UC’s dynamic tandem of Gerald Ampoon and Alfred Codilla brought the heaviest damage on the Baby Lancers, whom they defeated in last year’s finals. Ampoon finished with 19 points, while Codilla banged in 18 markers. Jerei Marion Pingoy and Labolabo contributed 10 apiece.

The Junior Webmasters need only to score a repeat performance over the UV juniors in tomorrow’s Game 2 to formally wrap up the third place honors.

Gerald Legarde paced the Baby Lancers with 23 points, while wingman Glennson Ybañez and Jasper San Brigoli posted an identical 15 points.

The scores

UC (95) - Ampoon 19, Codilla 18, Pingoy 10, Labolabo 10, Aranas 9, Nazareno 8, Talisic 7, Pua 5, Saramosing 4, Comendador 3, Padilla 2         

UV (82) - Legarde 82, Ybañez 15, Brigoli 15, Mendoza 6, Suan 4, Linao 4, Arong 4, Smith 4, Pangan 3, Navaja 2, Calvo 2 Halftime: 60-39   (FREEMAN NEWS)