CEBU, Philippines - Henric Dawn Ochea showed the stuff of an MVP as the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles pounded defending champion University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers anew, 96-82, to take a commanding 2-0 advantage in the best-of-five juniors division finals of the 12th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season last night at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Magis Eagles, thus, moved one victory away from clinching their first ever championship in CESAFI history. They could practically seal that monumental feat with another conquest of the struggling Baby Lancers in tomorrow's Game 3.
Ochea fouled out late in the game, but he already erupted with 29 points to make up from his insignificant eight points in their 80-76 victory during the series opener.
The other thing of beauty for SHS-Ateneo is that Ochea got huge support from Fletcher Galvez and Felixberto Jaboneta, Jr. who banged in 16 and 12 points, respectively.
The Baby Lancers of coach Delfin Pepito, Jr. trailed all the way and managed only to tie the count on two occasions at 6-all and 10-all.
The Rommel Rasmo-mentored Magis Eagles enjoyed only a three-point edge at the intermission, 40-37, but took control of the game with authority in the final half. They had a furious third period explosion ending it with a 19-point bubble, 70-51.
In the face of SHS-Ateneo's fiery uprising, a very frustrated UV coach Pepito was whistled for a technical foul for continuous complaining. With only a few seconds left in the third period, he threw his official's ID into the air as a gesture of protest to the referees' call.
During the pre-game awarding rites, Ochea bagged the regular season MVP trophy. He was joined into the Mythical Five by his teammate Arc Gabrielle Araw-Araw, Andres Paul Desiderio of the UV Baby Lancers, Mark Kong of the CIT-U Baby Wildcats and Michael Lorenzo Balankig of the CEC Dragons.
Araw-Araw, who topscored with 18 points for SHS-Ateneo in Game 1, just made seven points last night, but his pesky defense had given the Magis Eagles the huge impact they wanted to happen.
Desiderio, in his usual explosive form, fired 34 points but couldn't weave any magic for the Baby Lancers, who were down by 18 points, 95-77, with a little over a minute left in the contest.
Ernesto Limitares and Ralph Jude Dinolan were the other UV players to dish out twin figures with 11 and 10 markers.
SHS-AdC (96) - Ochea 29, Galvez 16, Jaboneta 12, Igna 8, Araw-Araw 7, Laguyo 7, Cercado 6, Padilla 4, Competente 4, Senining 3
UV (82) - Desiderio 34, Limitares 11, Dinolan 10, Manzo 6, Fernandez 3, Dela Cerna 3, Samal 3, Marquez 2, Escalona 2, Canete 2, Cabanilla 2, Berdero 1, Santillan 1
Halftime: 40-37 (FREEMAN)