Just a step away...

As far as the University of the Visayas Green Lancers are concerned, the Collegiate Champions League basketball crown is within reach. All they have to do is to focus on the game and be prepared for any surprises the Ateneo Blue Eagles may spring on them.

The Green and Blue square off at 4 p.m. today at the  San Juan Arena with the winner going home with P500,000 worth of funding and scholarship grants, and most importantly, the bragging rights of being the best college team in the country.

What makes the Lancers and the Eagles title showdown interesting is that both team have yet the win a CCL crown despite successes in their respective leagues, thus they are eager to do what it takes to win.

The Green Lancers have won seven consecutive CESAFI basketball titles while the Blue Eagles have been title contenders in the UAAP and last won the title in 2002.

The two collegiate squads have a bit of history between them. The two teams have met three times in the past.

 In 1957, when Rep. Eddie Gullas was coaching UV, with players like Jose “Dodong” Gullas and Eduardo Cabahug, the father of Coach Boy Cabaghug, the Green Lancer beat Ateneo during a national championship in Manila. In that same year, Rep. Gullas won the coveted “Coach of the Year” award.

The two teams played twice in Cebu. In the 2006 CESAFI Friendship Games at the Cebu Coliseum, the Eagles beat the Green Lancers in the finals 93-82 after clobbering them 84-77 in the elimination.

But that was a year ago. This year, the Green Lancers have a bigger frontline as compared to last year’s line-up. With 6’11" Fil-Am giant Gregory Fuentes Slaughter and the 6’8" slotman Rino Berami, the Green Lancers are now a dominant force in the shaded area.

 The big men of Coach Elmer “Boy”Cabahug have been instrumental in the team’s three victories in the CCL. In the game against STI, Slaughter had seven of the 12 blocked shots recorded by UV. Five of the seven shots swatted by Slaughter were in the first quarter.

In the two other victories of UV, where they blasted Lyceum 101-80 then routed the University of Mindanao 78-58, the big men also played big.

To topple Ateneo, the Green Lancers must be able to execute when they are pressed. STI might have exposed a cinch in the armor of UV when they forced the Green Lancers into seven passing errors in the third quarter of their game by pressing UV’s guards.

Guards Chris Diputado and Ritchum Dennison must be able to protect the ball and direct the play of UV even under pressure.

Shooters Michael Luga and Harlow Chad Villanil must connect from the perimeter and beyond the arc, as well, to complement UV’s inside game.

Coach Cabahug should also make good use of Ariel Mepana, who has shown his worth in both ends of the floor. The determination he has shown after an ACL injury that sideline him last year could be the rallying point for the Green Lancers.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles, however, will not hand the title to UV. They also have tall men in Rabe Al Hussaini, Ford Arao and Zion Laterre. Guards like Chris Tiu, Eric Salamat, Jai Reyes and Yuri Escueta could also deliver for Coach Norman Black.

And talking about coaches, perhaps it must be pointed out that Coach Cabahug has played against Coach Norman Black when the latter was an import for Great Taste and San Miguel and Cabahug was playing for Purefoods.

“It is anybody’s ballgame. As they say the ball is round,” Coach Cabahug told The FREEMAN in a telephone interview.

For the Cebuanos - it is just a step away from glory. (With reports from Caecent No-ot Magsumbol)