To stay on course for a finals collision in Cesafi basketball tournament

The defending champions Southwestern University Cobras and their arch-nemesis, University of the Visayas Green Lancers, continued on their collision course towards the finals as they beat their respective opponents last night at the close of the first round of the semifinals in the 13th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Cobras swept this round after they vanquished the University of San Carlos Warriors, 74-59, while the Green Lancers humiliated the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars, 70-37. The two teams are ranked one-two with SWU holding a perfect 3-0 (win-loss) mark and UV trailing close at 2-1 heading to this weekend’s All Star break. The top two teams at the end of the semis will clash for the championship trophy.

The 37 points that the Jaguars registered was a season-low for any team in either division this year. So inept was the Jaguars’ offense that they failed to reach double-figures in each of the first three periods.

Rhaffy Octobre paced the Green Lancers’ balanced attack with 13 points. All but two players scored for UV in this game.

MERCILESS COBRAS

Meanwhile, the Cobras made sure that there would be no repeat of their close game against the Warriors in the elimination round as they zoomed off to a 21-point lead in the third canto and finished the game strong behind the efforts of African import, Landry Sanjo.

USC actually came close to beating SWU in that encounter before folding in overtime, 70-76.

Sanjo had 15 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Cobras. Fil-Canadian Adams Mohammed led the way for SWU with 17 points while Monbert Arong added 15 to offset the mere five-point performance of prized guard, Mark Jayven Tallo.

SWU got off to a fast start as they led, 22-11 after the opening canto. But USC remained within striking distance until the third when the Cobras unleashed a 15-2 blast fuelled by the torrid scoring of Mohammed. They established their largest lead of the game at 21, 53-32, after a midrange jumper by the team’s other reinforcement, Fabrice Siewe.

However, the Warriors showed some fight and came within 11 points, 54-65, 4:02 left, but the Cobras uncorked a 9-0 run for the 15-point romp.

Ahmed Salihou and Ian Ortega led USC with 11 points each as they fell to 1-2. USJ-R brings up the rear with their sorry 0-3 card.

The second round of the semis continue on Monday.