SWU NIPS UV ANEW

Games today:

Cebu Coliseum

5:15 p.m. – CEC vs. SHS-AdC (jrs.)

6:45 p.m. – UV vs. USPF (srs.)

The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras seized their fate and put it into their own hands as they toppled the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers for the second time this season with a 71-67 win in the seniors division of the 2011 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. basketball tournament late Sunday night at the Cebu Coliseum.

The victory by the Cobras proved to be a crucial one as it gave them an 8-3 (win-loss) record, which tied them with their victims.

A win over the University of Cebu Webmasters on Thursday will award the Cobras the second seed and the last twice-to-beat advantage which comes with it.

The win was not easy as SWU had to scramble back from deficits that ran high as 11 in the first half.

Showing fiery intensity on defense and precise execution on offense, the Lancers ran off to a 35-26 lead at the turn.

An entirely different Cobras squad emerged from the locker room after halftime as they rallied behind the outside sniping of Bon Guillena and Eleazar Armecin and the hulking presence of 6-foot-7 Cameroonian center Justin Aboude.

With the Cobras faithful cheering their every move, it was only a matter of time before the Cobras caught up and that happened at the 8:45 mark of the final canto as a booming trifecta by Armecin and a tip-in by Aboude put them in front, 54-53, for good.

Making matters worse for UV was their sudden dry spell on offense, which lasted more than four minutes.

Guillena scored a game-high 22 markers while Armecin tallied 19 and Aboude notched 13.

The Lancers, which must beat the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panthers today and hope for loss by the Cobras on Thursday in order for them to sneak in and get the second seed, was paced by the 14 points each of Rene Saycon, Edrian Lao and Jerome Silva.