UV, UC in KO battle today for CESAFI juniors crown

With the best-of-three title series tied at one game apiece, the juniors crown in the 6th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) basketball event is up for grabs today when defending champion University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers take on the top seed University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters in the deciding Game 3 at the Cebu Coliseum.

The lone encounter is set at 5 pm.

The Baby Lancers, led by Edrian Lao, Phil Mercader, and Christian Camay, stalled what would have been their fourth straight championship party after failing to finish off UC in Game 2.

After taking the series opener via a 96-60 blowout, almost everybody following the CESAFI games never doubted the Baby Lancers to wrest the title via two-game sweep.

However, the Junior Webmasters proved their critics wrong as the shot back to life with a vengeful 94-77 triumph over UV in Game 2 to forge a rubbermatch.

The hungrier Junior Webmasters may have done their homework well after showing their great recuperative power in Game 2, but they still need to play better if only to prove why the reached the finals undefeated.

The Juniors Webmasters, powered by Robinson Mohamad, Mark Gil Panerio and Reynan Capoy, have yet to win a CESAFI title. The last time they won a championship was in late 90s when they beat the SWU Baby Cobras.

Experience wise, the Baby Lancers have a slight edge. But they have a tendency to flirt with complacency once they enjoy a big lead.

That should not be the case today. The Baby Lancers must realize that if Lao, Mercader and Camay are not scoring well, they should involve the others in offense.

Likewise, the Junior Webmasters, who are not so destructive at the post, rely on their field shooting, which will be their lethal weapon against the Baby Lancers.

One advantage UC can count on is that their guards have the luxury to score in the likes of Mark Madison Rago, Leymund Babad, Danel Enriquez and Eugen Vence.