SWU downs ACT in CBA hoop

Games today:

Cebu Coliseum

2 p.m. – Ave Maria vs. ACT

4 p.m. – Rollway vs. SWU

6 p.m. – Three Sixty Pharmacy vs. SCSIT

THE SOUTHWESTERN University Cobras thwarted the Asian College of Technology Cyber Knights, 98-96, in the opening of the Cebu Basketball Association-M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Mayor’s Cup Basketball Tournament yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.

Souped up for the commercial level of competition with several PBA D-League players as well as current MLKP-Cebu Niños on their stead, the Cobras zoomed off to huge leads in the first and fourth periods before staving off a tremendous comeback attempt by the Cyber Knights. The Cobras heaved a collective sigh of relief as ACT’s Jan Villaver missed his potential game-winning three-pointer at the final buzzer.

SWU started off hot as they led, 24-8, in the first period behind the streak shooting of former San Beda Red Lion Jessmar Villahermosa, Justin Aboude and Argen Mendoza. However, the Knights started clawing back into the game as Villaver started to find his mark from beyond the three-point and closed in, 41-46. SWU eventually brought a 49-41 lead at halftime.

The Cobras once again distanced themselves from their opponents with a 13-3 blast in the third canto anchored on the inside play of Abby Santos and Aboude and the outside sniping of Mendoza for a 71-55 advantage. A trey by Jeff Viernes and a floater by Giovanni Padillo gave SWU its biggest lead at 19, 81-62, with 9:26 left.

But ACT rallied behind the lights-out shooting of Ronald Bucao and Stephen Padilla. Padilla’s last make sliced the deficit down to just three, 87-90.

But convertions by Villahermosa and Padillo and free-throws by Santos and current San Sebastian guard Lyle Antipuesto pegged the score at 98-94. An easy shot by Mike Luga closed the gap to two, 96-98, and in SWU’s next possession, Antipuesto choked and missed two free-throws to set up Villaver’s nerve-wracking miss.

Mendoza led SWU with 22 points spiked by six treys while Villahermosa had 18, with four three-pointers. All in all, SWU had 12 three-point bombs in the game. Aboude and Padillo had 16 and 15, respectively.

In the first game, the defending champions Akira-Salazar Colleges of Science and Institute of Technology defeated Rollway Customs Brokerage, 78-74. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio