THE University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers scored two emphatic wins to secure the first slot in the finals of the 2nd Mayor Kim Lope Asis Collegiate Invitational Basketball Tournament 2017 at the Lope Asis Gymnasium yesterday in Bayugan.
UV, which played with its second and third stringers most of the time, annihilated the Cagayan de Oro-based Xavier University (XU) Crusaders, 110-70, Tuesday evening, then rallied from a 14-point deficit before handing the fellow Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) team University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers a 110-89 win yesterday morning to score its third win in a row and secure a slot in the finals tonight.
UV will most likely play UAAP team University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, who defeated Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals, 85-74, Tuesday night and the Crusaders, 92-56, yesterday to become the other unbeaten team in the tournament with a 2-0 card.
UST played UV last night and will play USPF at 9 a.m. today to be followed by the XU vs. EAC game at 10:30 a.m. It only took one quarter for UV to impose its dominance over XU, who engaged the Lancers in a tactical game in the opening quarter. But as soon as UV dropped a 10-0 run late in the opening quarter, XU went into survival mode, which failed when coach Gary Cortes fielded his starting five in the third period. Monic Soliva scored 14, Rey Suerte and Joshue Segumpan had 13 points and Jayson Balabag contributed 11 for UV.