CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers relied heavily on the dreaded combination of John Michael Abad and Edrian Lao to demolish the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, 80-60, and take the solo leadership with a clean 3-0 slate in the 11th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) season at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Lancers could improve it to four wins tonight when they battle bitter rivals Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras headlining the four-game schedule.
The Lancers actually trailed by seven points, 36-43, but they suddenly turned a lousy first half into a feisty mood with a barrage of unanswered points in the third period.
After they took a 61-53 lead on a buzzer-beating heave by veteran guard Harold Cincoflores, the Lancers held off the usually resilient Warriors to a paltry seven points in the fourth quarter while adding a 19-point bulge in their onslaught resulting into a 20-point blowout.
Abad, who had a near flawless outside shooting, paced the Lancers with 27 points, while Lao added 21 points followed by Jerome Silva with 11.
Giovanni Padillo led the Warriors with 18 points, while Michael Cantonao scored 11 in a losing cause.
The scores:
UV (80) - Abad 27, Lao 21, Silva 11, Cincoflores 7,Mendoza 7, Rios 3, Saycon 2, Arong 2
USC (60) - Padillo 18, Cantonao 11, Bautista 6, Otida 5, Hermosa 5, Panerio 4, Codilla 4, J.C. Cortes 3, Duran 2, J. Cortes 2 Halftime: 34-36 - (THE FREEMAN)