Warriors down Cobras for third win

CEBU, Philippines - The student beats the mentor in their coaching match-up.

Paul Joven of the University of San Carlos (USC) prevailed over his former coach Mike Reyes as the Warriors whipped the Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Cobras, 64-50, for their third victory in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 23 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday night at the Cebu Coliseum.

“I’m just happy to see him and compete with him inside the court,” said Joven, who was under the guidance of Reyes while playing for the Warriors for five years from 2005 to 2009. “About winning, it’s a normal feeling but nothing special because I did it at the expense of my mentor who is a huge part of what I am now today.”

It was a close battle at first but the Warriors pulled away in the second half where they surged ahead by as much as 17 points, 59-42, in the final five minutes of play.

James Gica and Bryle Puntual shined the brightest with 17 points each as the Warriors kept their hold of the solo fifth spot in the college division standings with a 3-1 win-loss mark.

Big man Heider Bilao finished with 13 points for the Cobras, who suffered their fourth setback in five starts.

In the juniors play, John de la Torre dropped eight 3-pointers of his scintillating 32-point show that catapulted the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers to a 90-66 demolition of the USC Baby Warriors.

The Baby Lancers thus evened their record at 2-2 while the Baby Warriors tasted their fifth defeat in six games.

Meanwhile, the league forfeited the win of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers in favor of the Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC) Greywolves upon the recommendation of deputy commissioners Atty. Boyet Velez and Danny Duran due to the violation committed by one of USPF’s student-athletes who played in another tournament while the CESAFI season is still ongoing.

The erring Baby Panther has been suspended for the rest of the 23rd season.