UV Lancers remain calm in an unfamiliar situation
The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers are used to losing their first game in past tournaments they joined.
In fact, lightning struck them twice last year - in invitational tilt in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte and during the regular season of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI).
Yet in those occasions, they still emerged as champions.
Fast forward to present, the Lancers were outclassed by the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, 73-89, during their season-opening match last August 26 at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Lancers took their debacle in stride as they have been in a similar circumstance before.
This time though, it’s completely a different story.
In a CESAFI shocker, the Lancers staggered to their second straight defeat via an 80-81 cliffhanger at the hands of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (UPSF) Panthers last Thursday night.
It was the first time in recent memory that the Lancers started their campaign with back-to-back setbacks.
Given their storied legacy in Cebu hoopdom, the jinx is very uncharacteristic of a two-time defending champion chasing after a grandslam feat this season and their 13th title overall since the league’s inception in 2000.
But the Lancers stay calm and positive as they try to figure out how to recover from such a disappointment.
They are a cinch to stop the bleeding though as they take on the Cebu Institute of TechnologyUniversity (CIT-U) Wildcats in the main game of a heavy quadruple-header scheduled at 5:30 p.m. today.
“We are in unfamiliar situation right now,” UV head coach Gary Cortes unequivocally admitted. “But it’s just two games. We still have 10 more games coming.”
Even before the start of the league’s 18th edition, the Lancers were already confronted with many challenges. Sharp-shooting guard Tristan Albina and do-it-all forward Melvin Butohan are no longer with the team due to varying reasons.
Compounding their woes, they lost ace playmaker Sheldon Gahi who broke his left foot during practice and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
Their Liberian import Bassieru Sackor and reliable forward Michael Maestre are also nursing from injuries and are not yet a hundred percent ready for hardcourt battle.
Inspite of all the things that smacked their way, Cortes remain hopeful and steadfast in his faith that they will deliver what is expected of them to the best of their ability.
“We’ll just pray that Sackor, Maestre and Gahi will recover from injury and be able to help the team in their normal form,” said Cortes. “If not, I hope somebody will step up to carry the team. We’ll just play one game at a time, to be on the playing court until the last playing date of the CESAFI.”