The reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers continued to impress, after they took down national powerhouse, Ateneo-A, 94-84, in Groub B action yesterday of the ongoing 18th FilOil University Games at the West Negros University gym in Bacolod City.
The win buoyed UV’s record to 3-0 (win-loss) but more than that, was the Green Lancers’ composure in the third period where they outgunned the Blue Eagles. UV’s champion head coach, Felix Belano, though, had to remind his players not to get starstruck when going up against Ateneo’s star guard and national celebrity, Kiefer “The Phenom” Ravena.
“My rookies kasi, idol talaga nila si Kiefer (Ravena). So I really had to challenge them and tell them na pareho lang sila players. It’s a good thing that they responded,” said Belano.
UV got off to a fast start, 27-18, after the first period of play. However, Ateneo rallied behind Ravena and another Cebuano sensation, controversial guard Jerie Marlon Pingoy, who is currently redshirting for the Blue Eagles in order to be eligible to play in 2015, and tied the game at 46-all at halftime.
But the Lancers refused to be bullied by the former five-time UAAP champions and retaliated, 31-20 in the third anchored on the strong showing of Cesafi Mythical Five member John Abad, rookie Leonard Santillan, Wowie Escosio and import, Steve Akomo which opened up leads that went as high as 14 before Anton Asistio canned a buzzer-beating three-pointer which pegged the score at 77-66.
Ateneo fought hard to bridge the gap but UV kept them at bay behind timely shots by Abad and Akomo en route to the morale-boosting win.
Escosio, the hero for UV in the Cesafi finals, scored 23 points while Abad scored the bulk of his 22 markers in the second half. Akomo picked up the slack left behind by Mike Nzuesseu and tallied 16 points even as Santillan and Franz Arong each had 10 markers.
Ravena paced Ateneo with 20 points while Pingoy added 15. Gwynne Capacio chipped in 14 markers.
USC, USJ-R WIN
UV though, was not the only Cesafi team to win yesterday as the University of San Carlos Warriors blasted St. Louis University, 98-72, while the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars rebounded from their close loss the other day by beating the Holy Cross of Davao College, 71-59.
Next up for the Lancers at the close of the elimination round today, will be the Colegio de San Agustin-B while the Warriors have the unenviable task of taking on the recent UAAP runners-up, the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers. Though skipper Jeric Teng is not playing, UST still boasts of a formidable roster led by Karim Abdul and Kevin Ferrer.