USJ-R HOPES TO END SEMIS MISFORTUNE
After a string of semifinal exits, Jayvie Mantilla, Miguel Gastador hope to book first Cesafi finals seat for USJ-R Jaguars
After a string of semifinal exits in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. collegiate basketball tournament, the University of San Jose-Recoletos’ one-two punch--Jayvie Mantilla and Miguel Gastador--are hoping their fortunes will change this year.
The USJ-R Jaguars, thanks to a 9-3 record, are seeded first for the first time in the semifinals and will enjoy a twice-to-beat edge against former champion University of San Carlos in this Saturday’s semifinal round.
“Every season, we make the semifinals but always lose and we only get to play in the battle for third place,” Mantilla said in Cebuano during SunStar Superbalita’s sports talk show “Isports ta Bai” hosted by Jun Migallen.
Though they enjoy a twice-tobeat edge against the Warriors, both say they won’t take the former champions lightly as they lost to USC in the first round despite taking the lead.
“We won’t be complacent. When we reviewed the games, from the first round up to the second round, we’ve always had a bad start. We had many lapses and turnovers and we have to adjust that in the semifinals,” said Mantilla.
During their last encounter in the second round, USJ-R had a 38-31 lead at half-time but lost the advantage at the end of the third quarter, 53-51, before eventually losing to the Warriors, 74-65.
That’s something the Jaguars want to avoid this time around.
“We should have our adjustments as early as the first quarter; we shouldn’t get complacent,” said Mantilla, who won as Barangay Suba Sanguniang Kabataan chairman.
On the other hand, Gastador said the Jaguars has the slight advantage in speed over the Warriors, who have changed coaches almost annually since winning their first Cesafi title three years ago.
“We have the advantage in speed, since we are more on fastbreaks,” said Gastador.
For Mantilla, who had an aborted stint with the Manila Metro Stars in the MPBL early this year, the team’s cohesiveness is one of their weapons.
“What’s good with us is that we’ve been together for so long, we know how everyone plays, where everyone prefers to move,” he said.
Mantilla admitted that their no. 1 team’s finish was unexpected owing to a tumultous start of the season.
We really didn’t expect to be the no. 1 team. Coach Titing (Manalili) was supposed to be our coach but he left to join the Cebu City Sharks. It’s really unexpected what happened to our team,” said Mantilla.
And this Saturday, Mantilla, Gastador and the rest of the Jaguars can achieve what they haven’t achieved in their four-year stint with the Jaguars, advance to the Cesafi finals with a win over the Warriors. /