USC, UV log wins in BEST SBP cagefest

CEBU, Philippines - Three-peat champion University of San Carlos trounced the University of San Jose-Recoletos, 62-17, for its second straight win in the SBP division of the BEST SBP Passerelle Twin tournament 2015 sponsored by Milo at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Mango Avenue Campus. Meanwhile, 2014 runner-up University of the Visayas debuted with a 46-18 victory over Don Bosco Technology Center.

USC stormed into a 31-8 halftime lead, limiting USJ-R to only four points in each of the first two quarters. The trio of Reinhard Jumamoy, Nicael Cabanero and Jerwin Espina combined for 28 points in the first half for the Baby Warriors.

While USC slowed down a bit in the third quarter, they still limited USJ-R to only three points, taking an insurmountable 42-11 at the end of the quarter.

Jumamoy, Cabanero and Espina had 10 points each to lead USC. Sebastian Danielle Bacus led DBTC with eight.

The same script was true for the other game as UV jumped into an early lead and never looked back. After taking a 15-2 lead after one quarter, UV took a 27-8 halftime lead to put the game out of reach.

The SBP Baby Lancers limited DBTC to only two points in the first and third quarters, taking a 38-10 lead going into the payoff period.

Matheaus Omamalin and Christian Jay Alilin had 12 and 10 points, respectively for UV.  Aegian Fraitz Briones led DBTC with six.

USC and UV thus set the stage for their game this weekend, with a win assuring the winner of at least a top two finish in the classification phase. (FREEMAN)