Lancers eye second win

Defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers rebounded from their season debut failure with a statement win against the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, 71-62, to get back on track in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Season 2017 College Basketball competition at the Cebu Coliseum Sunday evening.

Tonight, the Green Lancers will try to secure another win as they play the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers at 6:45 p.m. while high school reigning champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles will shoot for the solo lead against Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) Greywolves at 5:15 p.m.

UV leaned on the big shots of Tristan Albina, who dropped 17 points, to hold the Webmasters at bay all game long. Aside from Albina, coach Gary Cortes also got huge numbers from his silent operator Jerome Napao, who made 11 points.

However, it was the collapsing defense of the Green Lancers that forced UC Cameroonian center Frederick Elombi Ngoh to change his shots most of the time.

UC’s woeful free throw shooting—12 of 26—also made matters worse for the Webmasters, which also lost the rebounding battle, 40-22.

Elombi was the lone Webmasters player to score in double digits with 15 points.

The 2015 champions University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, on the other hand, secured the top spot after scoring their third win, 60-39, over the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Jaguars, which suffered their third straight loss.

Malcolm Tan fell one rebound short of a double-double as he led USC to their third straight win with 15 points and nine rebounds. Rookie Joshua Marata had 11 points, while Victor Rabat contributed 10 for the Warriors.

After trailing in the first half, the Warriors came out of the dugout with a different resolve and quickly pounded on the hapless Wildcats and held them to just 11 points in the entire second half--six in the third and five in the fourth. /