UV goes for title

Games Thursday (Cebu Coliseum)
5 p.m. – San Marino vs. Rose Aquarius
6:30 p.m. – Lion Tiger vs. Gaisano Capital

The University of the Visayas Green Lancers are knocking loudly on the door of redemption, and today, they may just tear the entire thing down.

This after the Lion Tiger Aerosols-backed squad moved ahead, 2-0, in the best-of-five championship series in the 5th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc.

(CESAFI) Partner’s Cup after routing the Gaisano Capital-University of Cebu Webmasters, 80-58, in Game 2 late Tuesday night at the Cebu Coliseum.

The Green Lancers will gun for the crown today in Game 3 of the titular duel and avenge their bitter loss to UC in the Cesafi finals last year. That loss halted the Lancers’ nine-year dominance of the league.

UV is also going for a series sweep and signal their return to the top of Cebu’s collegiate basketball.

After dropping the Webmasters, 78-64, in Game 1, the Lancers totally dominated Game 2, taking a 17-6 lead in the opening canto and then, poured it on in the second frame with a 13-0 blast that featured makes from veteran stalwarts Harold Cincoflores and Jerome Silva along with young rookie, Vincent Mendoza.

The Lancers brought a 40-21 lead into the dugout at halftime.

The second half saw the Webmasters sit their star center, 6-foot-10 Junemar Fajardo, down due to a foot injury and the absence of the reigning Cesafi MVP all the more doomed the Webmasters who trailed by 24 points 21-45, at the start of the second half. A 15-3 UC blast later in that stretch got them to within 12 points, 36-48. But a 9-2 Lancers run anchored on Edrian Lao pushed their lead back to 19 points, 57-38, heading to the final period.

Silva led UV’s attack with 17 points while Lao added 10. Roger Pogoy paced the Webmasters with 18 while Robinson Mohamad tallied 12. Fajardo played only in the first half and got just five points.