Rookie Albina powers UV in Cesafi caging

ROOKIE gunner Tristan Albina showed he is cut for the league as he led the University of the Visayas Green Lancers to a masterful 69-48 win against the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats in the collegiate match of the Cesafi Season 16 Basketball Tournament at the Cebu Coliseum last night.

Albina, who joined the Lancers during the pre-season, scattered 13 points including three triples that helped the Lancers ease up a bit when they were playing stiff in the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Lancers were trailing, 10-14, at the first quarter before Albina found his mark and got UV to a smooth sailing victory.

CIT-U was giving the Lancers a tough match but only for the first two quarters.

Rey Suerte, who was struggling early, added 10 points for the Lancers, while rookie Recar Navarro scored 10 points for the losing Wildcats.

The win ended UV's first game jinx against the Wildcats.

Meanwhile, the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars survived a thrilling match against the resilient University of Cebu Webmasters, 81-75 in last Saturday's collegiate game.

Jaybie Mantilla fired 18 points, Ralph Jude Dinolan and Nelvin Navarra had 13 points each and Albert Catiloc finished with 11 markers for the Jaguars while John Calvin Jabello made 17, Filvenson Culango contributed 11 and Justine Dacalos sank 10 markers for the Webmasters.

In the high school games, last year's runner-up the University of Cebu Baby Webmasters toyed with disaster before pulling a masterful double-overtime win over the University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars, 87-83.

The Baby Webmasters had a roller coaster ride and nearly lost towards the end of the first overtime, when USJR built a 72-64 barely two minutes left to play.

UC came back blazing with a 9-0 run to regain the lead, 73-72, but USJ-R managed to tie the game for the second overtime.

The Baby Webmasters kept their composure in the second extra period and USJ-R simply crumbled into pieces.

Luigi Gabisan scored the game-high 26 points, while Gelmart Umpad and John Cuyos had 12 points each for UC, while Riel Domingo and Theo Ranara had 13 points each for USJ-R, which also had three other players hitting the double digit scoring.

Earlier, Raul Jancork Cabahug scored 15 points in the second half to lead UV Baby Lancers to a masterful 90-41 win over the CIT-U Wildkittens.

Cabahug scored the game high 18 points while Eds Daniel Vallena lead CITU scorers with 13 markers.