Warriors trounce Wildcats to stay on top of the heap

CEBU, Philippines -  Explosive wingman Ian Tagapan and cat-quick playmaker Christian Maconocido put on a delightful show as the University of San Carlos Warriors reasserted their supremacy over the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats,83-70, to fortify their hold of the solo lead in the 15th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. men's basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

Tagapan topscored with 13 points, while Maconocido scored only nine but meaningful points as they sparked a fiery uprising in the first and third quarters for the Warriors. Shooster Olago and Charles Pepito each scored 12 and combined for 21 rebounds as they firmed up their lofty position atop the leaderboard with an 8-1 win-loss record. 

When the Wildcats appeared to be in fighting mood after closing in at 15-16, Tagapan knocked in back-to-back treys while Maconocido scored on a five-point swing in a 13-2 spurt that suddenly put the Warriors ahead by a dozen points, 29-17, after the first 10 minutes of play.

Just when the Wildcats were about to rally from a 33-50 deficit, Tagapan and Maconocido repeated their masterful first-quarter act by conspiring in a 9-0 blitz that handed the Warriors a commanding 59-37. Their biggest advantage, however, stood at 25 points twice, the last was at 69-44 count on Victor Rabat's free throws with 1:16 left in that third-quarter surge.

Joshua de la Cerna and Allan Dimco cashed in 15 points each, while Steven Bucao nailed 14 markers for the Wildcats, who already crashed out of the Final Four race with after absorbing their seventh loss in 11 games.

In the juniors division, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles kick-started their semifinal campaign with a 69-45 thrashing of the University of the Visayas Baby Lancers.

Aside from their balanced attack led by the versatile Jed Colonia and Andrew Velasco, the wards of coach Roel Rasmo also built a strong defensive wall that effectively shut down Raul Jancork Cabahug, UV's main source of power who was handcuffed to a season-low 15 points and seven rebounds.

Perhaps out of frustration as defeat was already inevitable for the Baby Lancers in the waning moments of the game, Cabahug threw a punch at Eroll Pastor at the final 3:19 mark of the contest. Cabahug should have been thrown out of the game for that offense under the CESAFI rules, but luckily for the burly 16-year-old center, he was only called for an unsportsmanlike foul.

Colonia finished with 18 points laced with six steals and four rebounds, while Velasco banged in 11 markers as the Magis Eagles stretched their unbeaten streak to nine games in a row to further boost their bid of claiming back-ot-back championships.

The Baby Lancers actually raced to a 6-0 start but that was their only bright moment as the Magis Eagles regrouped quickly to wrest the driver's seat and then never looked back after posting a 17-point advantage at the intermission, 38-21.

The Baby Lancers opened the third canto with a 7-0 bang to close within just 10 points, 28-38, but that was the best they could must as the Magis Eagles easily regained a 47-30 lead, which later turned into a 24-point bubble, 68-44, on a 3-point shot by Andrei Benedict Chua with only 1:49 left to play.  (FREEMAN)