UC scores rare demolition of UV; SWU stretches winning streak to 3 in 3rd CESAFI Partners' Cup

CEBU – The Enervon/UC Webmasters frolicked on the absence of 6-foot-11 pivotman Greg Slaughter and dropped a league record 17 3-point bombs to score a rare 90-73 rout of Prime Asia/UV Lancers in the 3rd CESAFI Partners’ Cup last Sunday at the Cebu Coliseum.

Earlier, the Hotel Fortuna/SWU Cobras coasted to their third straight win in as many starts via a 96-48 massacre of R. Lapid’s Chicharon/Don Bosco Greywolves.

Sans Slaughter, the Webmasters played so confidently that they nearly had an impeccable shooting from beyond the arc.

Moncrief Rogado was at the helm of UC’s long-range armory with eight triples of his topscoring 26 points. Robinson Mohamad and Lawrence Agas were accounted for the other seven tomahawks that staggered the Lancers all the way.

What made the Webmasters so comfortable with their outside sniping was June Mar Fajardo, who controled the rebounding department with authority as there was no Slaughter to size him up at the shaded lane.

Capitalizing on his superior ceiling, Fajadro picked up offensive rebounds at will and translate it into golden points. When swarmed by UV defenders, he wisely passed the ball out to the open shooter from the long distance.

Though the underdog UC deserved to be given credit for knocking down a heavyweight foe, it was obvious that UV Lancers coach Elmer “Boy” Cabahug was experimenting on how his players deal with the tough situation playing without Slaughter, who missed the game because of his commitments to the Philippine national team.

In fact, when the Webmasters started to make their shots, Cabahug tested all his players so they can react and will no longer be too dependent on Slaughter.

This scenario happened to the Lancers in last year’s CESAFI finals, but after losing big to the USJ-R Jaguars in Game 4, they quickly bounced back to wrap up their eighth title.

Coming from a humiliating defeat, it is expeted that the Lancers will be a different team in their next game.

Mohamad finished with 15 points, while Agas and Janssen Abella each had 12 markers as the Webmasters joined Lion-tiger/USC Warriors and the CDO Idol/USPF Panthers at second place with similar 2-1 win-loss records.

Edrian Lao and Eman Calo finished with 14 points apiece for the Lancers, while Ralph Olivares, Phil Mercader and Romulo Benedicto combined for 33 points.

With the setback, the Lancers found themselves in an unfamiliar position at fifth place with a 1-2 win-loss card in a tie with Ave Maria Sanctuary Park/USJ-R.The Hotel Fortuna-backed Cobras, on the other hand, firmed up their grip of the solo with a clean 3-0 slate. Eliud Poligrates paced SWU with 15 points. Jefford Aldave was the only double-digit scorer with 14 points for Don Bosco, which slumped to its third straight loss.

The scores

First game

Hotel Fortuna/SWU (96) - Poligrates 15, Maguate 11, Zanoria 9, Nuñez 9, Pria 9, Belande 8, Armecin 8, Diango 6, Pacquiao 4, Divinagracia 4, Gianchand 4, Albarillo 4,   Gallarde 2, Jalandoni 2R. Lapid’s/DBTC (48) - Aldave 14, Delos Santos 8, Perturbos 7, Tecson 5, Colegado 4, Enterina 4, Caballero 4, Loyola 3, Lumapas 2

Second game

Enervon/UC (90) - Rogado 26, Mohamad 15, Agas 12, Abella 12, Fajardo 9, Quilantang 6, Pao 6, Ramos 2

Prime Asia/UV (73) - Lao 14, Calo 14, Olivares 12, Mercader 11, Benedicto 10, Cabahug 6, Lasala 4, Silva 2 –THE FREEMAN