CEBU, Philippines - Pace-setter and nine-time champion University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers will be gunning for their sixth consecutive victory tonight without spitfire guard Eman Calo when they collide against the struggling University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) Jaguars in the collegiate division of the 10th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. CESAFI) at the Cebu Coliseum.
Games today: (Cebu Coliseum)
4:30 pm USC vs. DBTC (Jrs.)
6 pm USJR vs. UV (Srs.)
Calo, who is serving a one-game suspension after he was ejected in their
82-79 win against UC, will be out for tonight’s game but still the Lancers are unfazed with Harold Cincoflores and John Michael Abad manning the backcourt.
Calo scored 15 points in a blitz against the Webmasters and was instrumental when the Lancers escaped with a three-point win, but not after blowing away their 19-point lead.
The Jaguars have their worst start ever in the 10-year-old CESAFI.
The Lancers will have also Ralf Olivares to lean on for offense and expects support from Jerome Silva, Harlow Chad Villanil, Adrian Lao, Andrew Avillanoza and Rene Jun Saycon.
Should they win again tonight, the 5-0 Lancers could go for a sweep on Sunday when they go up against the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras, one of the three other remaining contenders.
The 1-4 Jaguars will rely on Kurt Amores but there are no other big men who can support him. They are hoping that Christian Senining, Edwin Bibera, Jun Lapiz and Jaymar dela Pena’s outside shots will be clicking and guards Jason Nudalo, Gian Carlo Albarillo and Benjamin Capillar can contribute in the offense.
Meanwhile, the University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors hope to improve their win-loss record when they go up against the smaller and winless Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) Junior Greywolves in the lone secondary match.
The regular CESAFI schedule would have been Thursday, but it was moved to today because the coliseum was not available yesterday. – THE FREEMAN