UV Green Lancers exact revenge, hand UC webmasters first loss in Cesafi seniors hoop

Games Tuesday:
Cebu Coliseum
5:15 p.m. – UC vs. UV (jrs.)
6:45 p.m. – USPF vs. USJ-R (srs.)

The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers spoiled the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters’ bid for perfection with a 74-69 victory in the seniors division of the 2011 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) basketball tournament late Sunday night at the raucous Cebu Coliseum.

The Lancers took down two birds with one stone as they dealt the Webmasters their first loss of the tournament and at the same time exacted revenge for the 67-78 loss that they were handed during their first round meeting.  UV improved to 5-2 (win-loss) while UC fell to 9-1.

Edrian Lao scored 18 to lead the way for the nine-time champions Green Lancers.  Fajardo led UC with a quiet 22 but got into foul trouble early.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo got slapped with his fourth personal foul with 6:24 remaining in the game. The Lancers took cue from this and Lao made the Webmasters pay by scoring six of UV’s next nine markers to put them on top, 63-52.

UC’s Jan Auditor sparked an 11-2 fightback that trimmed the deficit down to two, 63-65, with 2:07 left. But UV was not fazed by the pressure as Jerome Silva scored on a putback followed by a steal by Harold Cincoflores off Auditor which led to a wide-open lay-in for a 69-63 lead. John Abad sealed the win for the Lancers by scoring on a floater and then making three free-throws in the last minute.