CEBU, Philippines - Nine-time champion University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers fended off a late rally by the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) to walk away with a 67-59 victory last Saturday in the 10th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) season at the Cebu Coliseum.
Later, the Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) Wildcats lost two players in leading scorer Chester Curso and reliable rookie Jose Allan Dimco but still escaped with a pulsating 94-92 win against the short-handed University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars in a physical game that was halted twice and nearly resulted into a fistfight.
With CIT leading, 40-33, Curso was ejected at 4:09 left in the second period when he retaliated to Renato Abing, who hit him deliberately but unnoticed by the referees. Just with 59 seconds left before halftime, Dimco left the game with a busted upper lip when he was hit by Jaguars' Kurt Amores and the score was tied at 43-all.
Wildcats' coach Gilbert Demape and team officials threatened to walk out if the referees will tolerate second motions even as they blamed the game officials for their failure to control the game even before the Curso-Abing fracas occurred.
Curso will be serving an automatic one game suspension and will not be available in their game against the DBTC Greywolves tomorrow, while Dimco is advised to rest.
In the third period, the Jaguars looked good in nailing their first win as they opened up their largest lead at eight points, 51-43, but all of a sudden, the wounded Wildcats responded with a 15-2 run including seven points by Arnel Ipang, who went on to lead the offense with 25 points.
The Jaguars had the lead for the last time at 92-90 on Abing's gift shots still with 1:19 left in the game on the fifth foul of Kenneth Cañete, but the Wildcats scored the last four points from the free throw stripe including two from Ipang.
Earlier, Jerome Silva scored six straight points on three stolen plays from under the basket as he lifted the Lancers to their fourth win in as many games. Silva had only eight points but it was Harold Cincoflores who led the offense with 12 points.
The scores
First game
UV (67) - Cincoflores 12, Mercader 9, Olivares 9, Lao 8, Silva 8, Villanil 5, Calo 5, Delantar 4, Abad 3, Saycon 2, Perolino 2
USPF (59) - Dajalos 11, Marano 10, Rivera 9, Cabahug 9, Linao 8, Bardilas 6, Avila 2, Tinoy 2
Second game
CIT (94) - Ipang 25, Curso 10, Dela Cerna 9, Lopez 9, Sanchez 7, Booc 6, Taboada 6, Cabanero 6, Cañete 5, Dimco 4, Batiquin 2, Alvarez 2
USJ-R (92) - Amores 21, Capillar 14, Lapiz 13, Dela Peña 10, Suliman 8, Bibera 8, Abing 6, Nudalo 4, Munez 2, Bucayan 2, Lajato 2, Olbedado 2 (FREEMAN)