THE Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons displayed total mastery in both defense and offense to log their second win, 87-73, over the erstwhile unbeaten University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Baby Panthers in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) high school division at the Cebu Coliseum yesterday.
The win, which came after their close 81-75 loss to the University of the Visayas, is a complete turnaround of their 110-47 loss to USPF on Sept. 6, 2009.
The Dragons were all business as they started the game scorching hot behind the guns of Roy Vincent Villarias, Benjamin James Zosa and Johnmar Lou Regidor, who combined for 16 of CEC’s 23 points in the first quarter.
CEC’s game was so fluid that even the 14-point performance of Rommel Diapera and the combined offense of Joshua Corcilles and Kyrill Dwight Roble wasn’t enough and the Dragons put up a 48-26 lead at the bend.
CEC then went to erect a 70-40 lead before Diapera, Corcilles and Mar Riger Cavan got the Baby Panthers closer, 72-57.
However, Zosa rallied his teammate and with the help of Nike Montalvo, Mark Anthony Olayon and James Neil Sumayang, made it a 83-60 CEC lead with 4:08 left to play.
As Corcilles fouled out, the scoring load was left to Diapera, who only got minimal help from his teammates.
Zosa topscored for CEC with 24 points and Sumayang finished with 12 despite shooting a woeful 2-of-13 from the free throw line. Roy Vincent Villarias scored 11 and Montalvo added 10.
Diapera scored a game-high 32 points, while Cavan contributed 19.