Ormoc—It took the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras just five minutes to assert themselves as they steamrolled over the AMA Computer Learning Center Titans, 90-61, to advance to the Southern Islands championship game at the Ormoc Superdome here.
The Cobras, runners-up of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) this year, wasted no time dominating the match as they ran off 16 unanswered points in less than five minutes after the opening tip to set the tone of the one-sided affair.
The Cobras will face back-to-back Cesafi champions University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters in the Southern Islands championship game. UC beat Mindanao regionals champions STI Olympians, 99-90, in the second game.
The Webmasters and the Cobras met in this year’s Cesafi finals with UC winning the title in five games.
The Southern Islands title game will be played tonight at 8 p.m., at the same venue, with the winner advancing to the Final Four starting on Monday at the Arena in San Juan.
Bon Guillena and Cesafi Mythical Five member Eleazar Armecin sank consecutive three-pointers to start off the match while Justin Aboude lorded over the shaded lane as the Cobras led, 16-0.
They extended their lead to 24-2 and ended the period on top, 26-9. The Titans had a ray of hope in the second period as they sliced the deficit to just 13, 18-31, behind the efforts of Bon Tambeling and Jonathan Amora.
However, the Cobras were not fazed as they retaliated with a 14-2 blast that gave them a 45-22 lead at halftime.
The Cobras were on cruise control the rest of the way as the lead reached a high of 32 at several points in the fourth period.
Aboude ran roughshod over the small frontline of the Titans as he scored 23 points while Armecin added 17.
Rene Pacquiao, another Cesafi Mythical Five member, reached twin digits with 10 markers.