CEBU CITY — There’s no stopping the lean, mean, winning machine of the Green Lancers.
University of the Visayas successfully defended the Chooks-to-Go Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. Season 23 collegiate basketball title after a dominant 60-41 win over University of Cebu in the decider on Saturday at the raucous Cebu Coliseum here.
The title was UV’s 15th overall in the college division, stamping their class further as the South’s most successful collegiate basketball team.
As potent as UV’s offense was, with Raul Gentallan scoring 13 and Ivo Salarda adding 11, the Green Lancers’ defense was just as effective.
They stifled UC at every turn and held the Webmasters to 14 points in the second half.
Salarda, UV’s high-flying and sharpshooting wingman, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Already up by double-figures in the fourth, UV took no chances and kept the pressure on UC, unleashing a 9-2 run that featured back-to-back deuces by Froiland Maglasang, a triple by Salarda, and a short jumper by AJ Sacayan to give them a commanding 56-39 lead, with 3:45 left.
The Green Lancers began pulling away in the third quarter, where they dropped a 12-0 run to take a 45-31 lead with 3:12 left in that stretch. Zylle Cabellon energized UV with his hustle and on-ball defense, while Sacayan, Salarda, King Orcullo, and Kenneth Brillo dropped buckets to give them a 47-35 advantage heading to the last period of play.
UV got off to a great start and led 15-5 before settling for an 18-11 advantage after the first period. A three-pointer by Jim Paul Amistoso raised the Green Lancers’ lead to 11, 22-11.
However, the Webmasters relented and pulled to within three, 22-25, after an and-one by big man Michael Diaz.
However, UV’s athletic wingman Raul Gentallan sparked UV’s strong finish in the first half, scoring two triples and a gorgeous-looking layup off a nifty euro step to keep the Green Lancers ahead, 33-27.
UC did not have anyone reach double-figures in scoring, with Matthew Linares pacing the team with eight points and Diaz adding seven. – JP
