Lancers forge dream duel vs Cobras

MANILA, Philippines - University of the Visayas stamped its class on Holy Trinity College of GenSan, 91-74, yesterday to set an interesting duel with Cesafi titlist Southwestern U for Southern Islands crown in the 2012 Philippine Collegiate Champions League at the Cebu Coliseum.

The UV Green Lancers leaned on a 15-2 blast in the fourth to finish off the Wildcats and get another crack at the waiting Cobras, their tormentors in the last Cesafi title series.

UV and SWU renew their bitter feud at 4 p.m. today, with the winner gaining a Final Four berth as the Southern Islands champion.

Wowie Escosio, the rookie-MVP of the last Cesafi wars, topscored for UV with 23 points, making 19 of them in the first half.

Escosio joined forces with John Abad and Cameroonian Steve Akomo in helping the Lancers pull away from a two-point edge to an 85-70 bulge with under five minutes left in the contest.

Abad, Vincent Mendoza and Jerome Silva backstopped Escosio with 12 markers apiece.

Christopher Masaglang paced HTC with 20 points while Arthur Pepito and McDenver Polistico backed him up with 16 and 10 markers, respectively.

In the second game, San Sebastian outlasted National U, 75-68, to advance to the next phase in the Sweet 16 of the Luzon-Metro Manila side. The Stags will face either La Salle or Adamson on Sunday in Manila.

Ian Sangalang, the reigning NCAA MVP, fired a game-high 29 points for the Stags, out to duplicate their feat last year when they surprised UAAP champion Ateneo and NCAA winner San Beda to snatch the crown,

The winner of the UV-SWU showdown will join Ateneo and San Beda, which gained automatic berths in the Final Four as UAAP and NCAA champions, respectively.