IF THE PRESEASON is to be any indication of what’s to come for the upcoming season of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi), then Cebuano basketball fans better get ready for a fierce rivalry between the reigning champions Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras and the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers.
This, after the Cobras defeated the Lancers, 69-60, in an intense and fight-marred skirmish in the final day of the Mayor Mike Rama Collegiate Invitational Cup last night at the Cebu Coliseum.
It was a game that had the feel of a championship match, with the physicality reaching illegal levels, resulting in two ejections and four unsportsmanlike fouls.
Curiously, only the second place trophy was at stake between SWU and UV as the title had already been won by the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws last Saturday night.
But it didn’t matter in the south’s most colorful collegiate rivalry. Four minutes into the game, UV’s Chris Perolino was ejected for a punch on SWU’s Melvin Goloran. Two minutes later, Goloran was sent to the showers after he was ejected for punching Ralf Octobre.
The intensity was kept up throughout the match but SWU gained headway in the final canto as import Landry Sanjo anchored a brief rally for a 55-48 lead.
UV remained within striking distance, 57-62, but SWU’s Mark Jayven Tallo kept the team’s composure with crucial plays down the stretch that preserved the win. But the fireworks did not end there. Just before the end, UV’s Franz Arong triggered a near-melee in the final 27.4 seconds. Fortunately, the game finished without further incident.
Sanjo led SWU with 18 while Adam Mohammed added 15. Meanwhile, FEU capped off their successful southern sojourn with an 85-79 win over the Mapua Cardinals in the first game. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio