THE Bustamante Construction-backed University of the Visayas Green Lancers thwarted the Vincare Pharma-University of Perpetual Help Altas, 80-68, to get their campaign in the Mayor Kirk Asis Open Invitational Basketball Tournament 2024 off to a rousing start on Thursday morning, June 27, 2024, at the Lope Asis Memorial Gym in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.
The reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champions raised their game a notch in the second half. They drained one three-pointer after another to give themselves the separation needed to capture the victory.
Shooting guard AJ Sacayan put on a scintillating shooting display, scoring 26 points highlighted by seven triples. He also had four rebounds and three assists. Kent Ivo Salarda, the reigning MVP of the Cesafi, had six trifectas and finished with 19 markers.
Up by only seven at halftime, 48-41, UV came out of the dugout firing on all cylinders and took a 66-45 lead over the team of former PBA great, Olsen Racela.
Lass Coulibaly, UV’s foreign player from the Ivory Coast, chipped in 11 points. / JNP
