Cebu teams UC, SWU gear up for Sweet 16 of Philippine Collegiate Champions League

After engaging in one of the most intriguing finals in recent memory, the two-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champions University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters and the runners-up Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras are slated to meet again in the 2011 Philippine Collegiate Champions League, which is already underway at The Arena in San Juan.

The two squads are already seeded in the Sweet 16 by virtue of their slots in the recently concluded Cesafi finals. They are Cebu’s only representatives from the Cesafi in the tournament and are located on different sides of the bracket.

However, if all goes according to plan, the two squads will meet again in the Elite Eight portion of the competition with the winner advancing to the Final Four, where UAAP champion Ateneo and NCAA champion San Beda await.

But before that, the Webmasters and the Cobras must hurdle separate opponents. SWU is slated to take on the champion of the Visayas qualifers, which will pit the champions of Iloilo, Bacolod, Tacloban, Bohol and Ormoc against one another. UC waits for the Mindanao qualifier. Games will be played at the Ormoc Superdome on Nov. 29 and 30.

Meanwhile, in the Metro Manila qualifiers, the National University Bulldogs, playing without UAAP MVP, Ray Parks Jr., hurdled the NAASCU champions University of Manila, 103-74.

Center Emmanuel Mbe led the Sweet 16 bound Bulldogs with 29 points. Already in the Sweet 16 are San Sebastian, Adamson, Jose Rizal University, Far Eastern University, Letran and the University of Sto. Tomas.