THE University of the Visayas Green Lancers and the University of San Jose Recoletos Jaguars will try to rip off the semifinals series as they gun for a sweep when they face separate foes in Game 2 of their respective best-of-three semifinals series today at the Cebu Coliseum.
The Green Lancers, who are hoping to win their eighth straight Cesafi title and to cement their dominance in Cebu’s premier collegiate basketball league, will be taking on the University of San Carlos Warriors in today’s main game.
The Jaguars, on the other hand, will be taking on a feisty University of Cebu Webmasters in the 4 p.m. battle.
The Green Lancers defeated USC, 88-76, in Game 1 and look to repeat this carnage today to formalize their entry to the final round. In Game 1, UV’s pivot man, Greg Slaughter virtually lifted the team on his shoulders as he posted 31 points and is expected to be the thorn on the Warriors throats today.
The USC earlier hoped to have the one man that could wallop Slaughter in the person of Enrico Llanto, who has been benched for months now for injury. However, coach Mike Reyes is not very optimistic about putting Llanto back in action.
“We can’t really be sure yet. We do not want to aggravate his injury. We will see how things go,” Reyes said.
Without Llanto, USC will have to make adjustments in their defense especially that UV will be powered by the strongest backcourt of Chris Diputado, Ritchum Dennison and Von Lañete.
USC will be banking on the game savvy of Giovannie Padillo, Sam Hermosa and Emel Rowe.
Meanwhile, in the other semis encounter, the Jaguars of coach Edito Salacot, will try not to make the mistakes that almost cost them Game 1 against the Webmasters—complacency.
Game 1 scare
The Webmasters may have been a late addition to the semifinals cast, but they have proven that they are a team to reckon with after having scared the Jaguars in Game 1.
The rookie-laden Webmasters of coach Rhoel Gomez, dictated the game right from the tip-off and the Jaguars only managed to squeak past them once they got rid of UC’s center, Junmar Fajardo, but only in the closing period.
Leading USJ-R today will be veterans John Malinao, Lyndon Gudez, Armand Ponce, Manny Gabas and Luther Justiniani, who are all playing in their last year.
Expected to give them strong resistance from the other side of the court are Fajardo, Janssen Abella, Kevin Quilantang, Edward Pao and Kelvin Juliane.
The college division follows the battle in the high school division, where UV the Baby Green Lancers and UC Baby Webmasters face respective foes starting at 1 p.m. (MCB)
