The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers kept their winning run in the 18th FilOil University Games basketball tournament as they outclassed the home team Colegio de San Agustin, 75-63, yesterday at the West Negros University gym.
The win was the reigning Cesafi champions’ fourth in a row, which solidified their status as one of the solid contenders for the crown in this annual gathering of collegiate teams from all over the country.
UV finished the elimination round with a perfect 4-0 (win-loss) record to stand atop Group B.
The win was a fitting follow-up to the Lancers’ monumental 94-84 conquest of the vaunted Ateneo-A team, which was bannered by Kiefer “The Phenom” Ravena, Cebuano sensation Jerie Marlon Pingoy and Gwynne Capacio.
In yesterday’s game, UV head coach Felix Belano said that he opted to give his second stringers more playing time than usual so as to rest his core players for the knockout stage that starts this afternoon.
In spite of limited minutes, Cesafi finals hero Wowie Escosio still dominated the game as he tallied 17 points while Steve Akomo, stepping up in the absence of fellow import Mike Nzuesseu, had 12 markers.
Nzuesseu is being given time off from the team to rest his ailing knee following their historic finals win over bitter rivals Southwestern University several weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Cesafi third placers University of San Carlos (USC) suffered its first loss of the competition after it got waylaid by UAAP runners-up University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 63-97, at the Colegio de San Agustin gym.
It was a heated game that saw several confrontations. At one point, it seemed as if USC’s Dominic Adlawan and UST’s Ed Daquioag would get into after a scuffle in the third canto but fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.
UST topped Group D with a clean 4-0 slate after wins over Hercor College (107-81) and St. Louis University (113-58) while USC claimed second place with a 3-1 card.