CEBU, Philippines - The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras needed extra efforts in the final period to neutralize the gritty visiting team from Davao, the Agro Industrial Foundation Sailors and scored a 71-62 victory in yesterday's opening match of the VisMin Zonal eliminations of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) Cebu Basketball Festival at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Cobras, the third placer in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) is seeking a repeat over another CESAFI rival the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, who are still playing against the University of Iloilo as of press time.
Shooting guard Eleazar Armecin scored 21 points including a five-point swing that padded the Cobras’ lead to 12 points, 68-56 in the final 2:24 of the ballgame.
Clifford Maguate was assessed an unsportsmanlike foul against a pesky Agro defensive guard Raffy Aninao.
Earlier, Melvin Goloran was also whistled for the same infraction against another Sailor.
The Sailors, the Davao champion, showed some shooting prowess in the third period when Erickson Galacgac and Mikko Estrellante hit alternating baskets and the Sailors threatened to come within a hairline, 38-39 at the 5:28 mark of the same period.
However, the Cobras quickly recovered and re-established a double-digit lead, 53-42 which they held on going into the fourth quarter.
Rene Pacquiao and Bonifacio Guillena added 16 and 14 points each for the Cobras who paraded at least six new players for the PCCL that included rookie point guards Alexander Nazareno and Monbert Arong.
Clemente Ruiz finished with 20 points to lead the Sailors who will be playing against the University of Iloilo today. Estrellante and John Bangga added 10 points each. (THE FREEMAN)