UV wins 2 games in St. Bernard

Defending Cesafi champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers rose back from an opening game loss and beat the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers, 7859, to make up for a frustrating overtime loss to Southwestern University in its Saturday evening schedule of the 2017 St. Isidore Parish Fiesta Inter-Collegiate Invitational Cup in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte.

Yesterday morning, the Lancers gave the University of San Carlos Warriors a neat beating, 96-64, to claim the solo lead in the five-team, three-day tournament that guarantees P100,000 to the champion.

Rubbing salt in the wound of the Warriors was the banishment of Julius Cadavis for the rest of the competition for punching UV's Liberian center Bassieru Sackor at the 8:06 mark of the third period.

Cadavis, who had finished his tour of duty with the Arellano University in the NCAA in Manila, was also slapped with a P3,000 fine, which would be deducted from whatever prize that USC will get out of the tournament. The money however, will be given to Sackor, as what the tournament rule had stated.

Without extra muscle inside, the USC defense loosened up and allowed reigning Cesafi MVP Rey Suerte to score four successive triples, paving the way for the Lancers' 34-points lead, 96-62.

Suerte finished with 20 points, while Jayson Balabag added 14.

UV will need to beat the University of Cebu Webmasters at 9 a.m. today to secure a slot in the finals.

Meanwhile, the USPF Panthers arrested a two-game slide after scoring an 83-76 win over the University of Cebu Webmasters.

UC, which also handed Southwestern University a 90-74 bashing last Saturday, lost in the end game when Clyde Avancena, Kenneth Cada and Mike Patalinghug combined efforts to salvage what was supposed to be a losing efforts of the Panthers.

Leading 69-62 in the final 3:47 of the game, UC dropped an 11-0 run to take a 73-69 lead. However, USPF still had some aces up its sleeves as Avancena, Patalinghug and Cada countered with an 11-2 blast to rescue the Panthers from defeat.

Avancena topscored for the Panthers with 20 points.