CEBU, Philippines - Last year's runner-up Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles proved too much for the smaller University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors as they started this season with an atrocious 90-56 victory in last night's lone secondary match of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.
As of press time last night, last year's collegiate runner-up University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers were still playing against the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) Jaguars for their first game under coach Felix Belano.
The Magis Eagles, who led all throughout the game, looked ferocious from all angles as they had also the luxury of having a line-up that is built in preparation to return into the finals, if not into the final four.
The 34-point victory is a strong indication of their preparedness when they lost to the eventual champion CEC Dragons in last year’s finals.
The victory was also a big improvement compared to last year's 85-82 win against the Baby Warriors who were then having at least two big centers in their old roster.
The Magis Eagles were led by Jorine Cercado with 4 points while big man Julius Cadavis and Dawn Ochea added 12 points apiece.
Ian Ortega, son of former SWU Cobras' center Cesar Ortega top scored for the Baby Warriors with 15 points while Mark Anderson added 10 markers.
The scores:
SHS-ADC (Jrs.) 90 - Cercado 14, Cadavis 12, Ochea 12, Go 9, Sing 8, Igna 7, Tecson 7, Competente 6,Segador 5, Lim 4, Catan 4, Suarez 2
USC (Jrs.) 56 - Ortega 15, Anderson 10, Sevillano 8, Savior 6, Majan 5, Lim 4, Antigua 2, Arnejo 2, Castro 2, Ignacio 2 Halftime: 44-21. – THE FREEMAN