The venom that runs in Mark Jayven Tallo’s veins seems to be more potent when Southwestern University (SWU) faces off against their archrivals, the University of the Visayas (UV).
This he showed as he led the defending champions Cobras anew to beat the Green Lancers, 77-70, in the semifinal round of the 13th Cesafi men’s basketball tournament last night at the packed Cebu Coliseum.
Though both teams are already assured of seats in the best-of-five championship series, they did not let up on beating one another in a highly physical game that saw several unsportsmanlike fouls being called even in the game’s waning moments.
In spite of the physicality that was mostly targeted on him, Tallo rose to the occasion and scored nine of the Cobras’ last 12 points to help the team near a sweep of the double round-robin semis.
He ended up with 19 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Import Landry Sanjo was his usual dominant self as he battled both foul trouble and the rabid UV frontline to come away with 18 points, 17 boards, three assists and two blocked shots. Mythical Five member Monbert Arong added 17 markers.
In the first game, the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars recorded their first win in the semis with a 78-60 shellacking of the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors.
Miguel Tabaloc had 19 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Jaguars.
Both USC and USJ-R own similar 1-4 (win-loss) records.
Already beaten twice by the Cobras this season, the Lancers appeared to be hellbent on getting a victory.
But Tallo kept the Lancers at bay in the fourth as he made a scoop shot, three freethrows and a steal that led to an unmolested lay-in by Bernie Bregondo for a 72-66 lead with 38.9 on the clock. UV climbed to within three, 70-73, when a technical foul was called on their head coach, Felix Belano, for showing resentment to a foul call.
Later, UV guard Miko Marquez was slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul and Tallo made four freethrows to seal SWU’s fifth win in this round and their 11th in a row overall.