The UV Green Lancers are out to underscore their dominance in the collegiate basketball when it battles a new finals challenger, the University of San Jose Recoletos Jaguars, in Game 1 of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) in their best-of-five finals series tonight at the Cebu Coliseum.
If the USJ-R Jaguars think they have the Green Lancers all figured out, they should think again as UV head coach Elmer “Boy” Cabahug assured his massive supporters that he still has enough tricks up his sleeves to defend their title.
“I will be unleashing my secret weapon come the finals,” Cabahug said slyly after sweeping their semifinals over the University of San Carlos last Sunday.
Cabahug hinted, without giving away the secret, that he will still be banking on his reliable backcourt veterans Von Lañete, Ritchum Dennison and Chris Diputado and with the help of center Greg Slaughter.
Although it seems like a routine being in their eighth finals appearance, Cabahug said that they are in no way, buckling down.
“We are defending this title as ferociously as we have in the past,” Cabahug said.
The burden of finally evicting UV out of the top spot now rests on the shoulders of the veteran-laden USJ-R and head coach Edito Salacot, who is on his first finals in the collegiate division.
Salacot’s squad is also considered one of the toughest contenders for the crown, having a battle-toughened crew, who are ripe for the picking.
“If there is a year that USJ-R should win, it is this year because we have enough experience and this is our last chance because most of us will be graduating and we want to leave the school with something to remember us by,” said Jan Malinao, who is one of the eight players graduating this school year.
Leading USJ-R’s charge will be an equally strong backcourt of Armand Ponce and Luther Justiniani with streak shooter Lyndon Gudez, Manny Gabas, Jan Malinao, Randy Pogoy, Jabe Delfino and Kurt Amores. (MCB)
