UC coasts to best ever 3-0 start in CESAFI basketball history

The University of Cebu Webmasters savored their best ever start in the Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball history, while in sharp contrast, the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars languished in their worst start in five years.

The vastly-improved UC Webmasters coasted to their third straight victory in as many games after escaping with a 89-86 win over the slumping USJ-R Jaguars in the 2005 CESAFI basketball season on Tuesday night at the USJ-R gym in Brgy. Basak, this city.

Games today (USJ-R gym)

4:00 pm USJ-R vs. UC (women's)

5:30 pm USJ-R vs. CIT (sec.)

7:00 pm USJ-R vs. CIT (coll.)

The games return to the USJ-R gym today, with the Jaguars hoping to prevent a 0-3 shutout as they take on the Cebu Institute of Technology Wildcats, who are also winless in two games.

Too bad for the 0-3 Baby Jaguars, they will face the Wildkittens who are coming off an ego-boosting 87-66 triumph over the Don Bosco Greywolves, the conqueror of the defending champion UV Baby Lancers.

For the third time, the UC scored a 2-0 sweep after the Junior Webmasters slammed the Baby Jaguars, 64-53, to take a 3-0 lead in the secondary division.

The Webmasters lost a 13-point lead, 49-36, midway through the third period as the Jaguars pulled within 55-62.

The Jaguars further threatened the Webmasters as they came within two twice at 70-72 on a basket by Ranulfo Malinao and at 74-76 on a basket by the electrifying rookie Armand Ponce .

However, Miguelito Ducay saved the day for the Webmasters by scoring two straight baskets, while Kenneth Sesante split his charities to give UC an 81-76 breather with less then a minute to play in the game.

Ducay led the Webmasters with 21 points, even as four others also scored in double figures.

When Jaguars' starting guard Luther Luke Justiniani was limited to just five points, it was power forward Randy Pogoy who rose to the occasion, leading his team with 19 points.

The game was credited for the most fouls called ever in the CESAFI annals.

In fact, coaches Roel Gomez and Donaldo Duran of UC and USJR, respectively, kept on calling the referees' attention to control the game and the tempers of the players.

Pogoy and Malinao fouled out from the Jaguars' camp, while Jonathan Canceran, Allain Abellanosa and Harlow Chad Villanil of UC also fouled out.

The other players in foul trouble from UC were Aldeth Batobalonos and Fil-Australian Ata Ayuk, while the players hounded by fouls from USJ-R were Ryan Arpay, Fritzie Gonzales and Maconocido.

The scores

First game



CIT (sec.) (87) - Augusto 18, Alvarez 13, Delmar 12, Labagala 11, Dela Cerna 10, Cañete 7, Rama 5, Reyes 2, Diaz 2, Ybañez 1

Don Bosco (sec.) (66) - Acha 16, Garcia 10, Bosque 10, Vender 6, Suarez 5, Enterina 5, Parilla 4, Ybañez 2, Lim 2, Villamor 2, Mellana 2, Tangarorang 1

Second game

UC (sec.) (64) - Tabalin 15, Colina 14, Gayo 11, Enriquez 7, Espinosa 6, Mohammad 2, Connors 2

USJ-R (53) - Lapiz 13, Abing 12, Yballe 11, Alasa-as 6, Caparros 5, Unabia 5, Cabanes 2, Andoy 1

Third game

UC (coll.) (89 )- Ducay 21, Batobalonos 13, Abatayo 12, Canceran 11, Abellanosa 10, Villanil 7, Yncierto 5, Sesante 5, Estenzo 3, Ayuk 2

USJ-R (86) - Pogoy 19, Ponce 13, Maconocido 9, Arellano 8, Malinao 7, Arpay 6, Gonzales 5, Justiniani 5, Carilla 2, Buena 2, Hatague 1.