Wildcats slaughtered

NINE-TIME defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers picked on the smaller Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats for a 72-51 victory in the 2012 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) college basketball action at the Cebu Coliseum last night.

Defending champions UV Baby Lancers, on the other hand, ran amok in the final period to beat the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers, 89-61, in the high school game.

Reigning MVP Andres Paul Desiderio scored 16 points and Ralph Jude Dinolan added 10, while Sheldon Marlon Gahi was the lone Baby Panther to score in double digits with 13 markers.

Green Lancers coach Felix “Donbel” Belano Jr. had his players’ temper in check, but needed to quickly address the most pressing concern—the complacency.

Despite its imposing advantage in height, size and firepower, UV scored only eight points in the first eight minutes of the game while committing five unforced turnovers.

CIT-U also struggled with nine points in the first quarter then seven in the second.

Emmanuel Calo started the scoring spree for the Lancers as he scored six of UV’s eight points to close the first period and the entire squad took a cue from there as they again dropped the monumental 14-2 blitz for a 32-12 lead with 3:15 left before halftime.

The Lancers were again complacent and allowed CIT-U to come back within 31-41 at the four-minute mark of the third quarter when the big blow came to the Wildcats—its leading scorer and team captain Floyd Taboada was thrown out of the game after committing his second foul with 17.8 seconds left in the penultimate period.

His first was at the 7:465 of the second quarter when he also tried to pressure UV power-forward Hernan Escocio.

Taboada swung an elbow on Calo, but was not caught in the act. However, he did the same thing, this time in full view of the referee.

The Wildcats bench was slapped with technical and UV was rewarded with four free throws, which were converted to build a 54-36 lead entering the final quarter.

Escocio topscored for UV with 14, Calo finished with 12, Jerome Silva and Steve Cedrick Akomo made 10 points each, while Axel Rabaya topscored for CIT-U with 14 points and Allan Dimco added 10.