Cobra’s payback

Games Thursday (Cebu Coliseum)
5:15 p.m. – CEC vs. DBC (jrs.)
6:45 p.m. – USJ-R vs. UC (srs.)

The Southwestern University Cobras paid back the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panthers for the loss that they received in the first round, nipping the latter, 66-62 late Tuesday in the seniors division of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Cobras of head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba though, had to scramble through some tense moments in the endgame as the Panthers refused to yield in the face of an eight-point deficit, 54-62, with just over a minute left in the closely fought game.

Guard Randy Avila and James Ferraren tried to fuel the Panthers’ comeback by scoring consecutive baskets which allowed them to come to within four with 34 seconds remaining. SWU wingman Bon Guillena then made a free-throw to pad the lead to five, 63-58, but USPF was still not done as center Jomari Sollano and Fritz Dajalos each had a basket to trim the deficit to just one, 62-63, with 12 seconds left in the game.

Dajalos then used his last foul for the game on Rene Pacquiao, who promptly made the first free-throw for a two-point cushion. His second attempt missed but Guillena was quicker to the ball and grabbed the offensive rebound, got fouled and made the subsequent two free-throws to hammer the last nail in the Panthers’ coffin.

The athletic Pacquiao led the winners with 17 points while Cameroonian big man Justin Aboude had 15 in limited action due to foul trouble.

USPF had trouble getting points from their top guns as Ferraren managed just 10 while Dajalos, who sizzled in their first round win over SWU with 20, scored a measly nine. SWU improved its record to 4-3 while USPF fell to 3-4.

Meanwhile, the University of Cebu Webmasters will try to remain unbeaten when they face-off against the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars while in the juniors division, the Cebu Eastern College Dragons try to get back on the winning track when they take on the Don Bosco Greywolves.