UV sweeps first round

As expected, four-time champion University of the Visayas Green Lancers completed a 5-0 sweep in the first round of elimination following a 90-82 win over the Cebu Institute of Technology Wildcats in the 5th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball season on Saturday night at the Tabunok gym.

The CIT Wildkittens, however, made up from the lost of their senior counterparts with a stunning 91-76 upset over the UV Baby Lancers to forge a three-way tie with UV, and USP at the top spot in the secondary division on identical 4-2 win-loss slates.

The victory was the 51st straight in as many games by the UV Lancers since the CESAFI's inception in 2000.

Playing without injured center Rino Berame, the Lancers simply outplayed the Wildcats in the fourth period, but not after giving up the lead to the Wildcats at one time midway through the third canto, 49-48, on a basket by Emilio Aniñon.

Morsie Akad, who scored 10 points of UV's 28-17 lead at the end of the first period, gave the Lancers back the lead, 50-49, and then closed the third period with a 71-61 edge despite the Wildcats' gritty attempt to come back.

In fact, CIT still managed to forge a 53-all deadlock also in the third period.

Instead of raising the white flag, the Wildcats kept on threatening before finally absorbing an eight-point loss.

Akad led the Lancers with 24 points, while Jaysar Esperat and Randy Sevilla finished with 15 points apiece.

Despite the loss, CIT coach Alex de la Torre still saluted the manner by which his wards fought against the undefeated Lancers.

"We needed that kind of game to boost our morale during the second round," said De la Torre.

Earlier, the Wildkittens rode on the game-long brilliance by Karen Rick de la Cerna, who brought the heavisest damage to UV by scoring 22 points including three momentum-crushing triples in the second half.

De la Cerna was backed up by Eliezar del Mar with 16 points and Clayton Labagala, cousin of UE Warriors guard Robert Labagala, with 11 points.

The Wildkittens led by as many as 18 points, 51-33, at the half. The Baby Lancers closed the gap down to three points, 67-70, only to fold up in the final stretch.