New year, new beginning for epic UV-SWU rivalry

CEBU, Philippines - The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers and the Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras will once again relit the flames of their scathing rivalry, this time not only for prestige but also for the P50,000 grand prize at stake in the Cebu City Mayor's Sinulog Cup 2014 Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament slated on January 23-26 at the Cebu Coliseum.

"The Sinulog Cup is an invitational tournament that seeks to provide basketball competition and exposure for Cebu’s collegiate teams and to provide entertainment for the fans," said event organizer Rico S. Navarro during the coaches' meeting yesterday at Yayoy's Grill and Resto Bar.

The University of San Carlos Warriors and the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars are also expected to see action, but without undermining the composition of their teams and the capabilities of their new head coach in Junthy Valenzuela (USC) and Jun Noel (USJ-R), the Lancers and the Cobras are without doubt the centerpiece of attraction not only because of their formidable rosters but also because of their storied enmity in the local cagedom.

Interestingly, the Lancers and Cobras will lock up horns right in the opening match of the four-day joust on January 23 at 5 pm.

The Felix Belano, Jr.-mentored Lancers dethroned the Cobras in last year's Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) season in record-establishing fashion, becoming the first ever team to recover from 0-2 deficit and win a best-of-five championship series in the league's 13-year history.  

But the Cobras, under the behest of legendary bench tactician Raul "Yayoy" D. Alcoseba, gallantly slithered their way to a sweet revenge when they disarmed and vanquished the Lancers to clinch the Southern Islands title and a chance at meeting the country's hardcourt giants in the more pretigious Philippine Collegiate Champions League  (PCCL).

After stunning the La Salle Green Archers and slaying the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, the Cobras were on their way to history only to falter at the hands of the Green Archers in their rematch at the PCCL National Finals. Nevertheless, the Cobras restored the faith of their diehard fans with that runner-up finish, a feat that the Lancers themselves achieved in PCCL nine years ago.

That makes the UV-SWU showdown even more exciting as they battle it out not only for bragging rights as the best collegiate ballclub in the region but also for the large chunk of the P100,000 bountry at stake in the four-day joust.

The contending squads will play in a single round robin format, with the top two teams automatically fighting for the championship in a winner-take-all affair. The champion will pocket P50,000, while the second to third will take home P30,000, P15,000 and P5,000.

Tickets for the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC)-sponsored event are priced at P30 for upperbox, P50 for lower box and P100 for general admission. (FREEMAN)