The secret weapon that the University of the Visayas was supposed to be keeping is now out in the open.
Wowie Escosio broke out with a tremendous performance yesterday scoring 25 points, including a 19-point fourth period outburst in leading the Prime Asia-UV Green Lancers to a, 101-94 victory over the Kia Motors-Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats in the 6th CESAFI Partner’s Cup at the Cebu Coliseum.
The win propelled the Lancers to their third straight win for the solo lead in the standings while it dropped CIT-U to a 1-1 mark. Still, the story of the match was Escosio, who reigned supreme in the fourth and lifted UV from the doldrums as they headed to the final canto tied at 68-all.
Escosio proved unstoppable in the shaded lane as he scored in every way imaginable inside, with putbacks and power moves, and finally, a ferocious slam dunk near the end that put an exclamation mark to an overpowering performance. The slam was also a crucial point for Prime Asia as it safely pushed them ahead, 96-91, with under a minute left in the game.
Still, Kia Motors fought gallantly as they got down, 20-25, after the first but pulled to within three, 44-47, at halftime, behind the outside sniping of Floyd Taboada, who had 12 of team-high 15 markers in that stretch.
Escosio though, was not the only sharp knife in the cupboard for the Lancers as veteran guard Phil Mercader added 11 points while Rene Jun Saycon, Chris Perolio and crafty point man John Abad, each had 10 markers.
Kia Motors got 13 from lanky wingman, Allan Dimco while herky-jerky guard Axel Rabaya and newbie Vincent Menguito each tallied 10.