Warriors zap Lancers in OT

CEBU, Philippines - The University of San Carlos Warriors lashed back at the University of the Visayas Green Lancers but had to labor hard in overtime before eking out a 79-75 win that ensured them of a finals berth in the 15th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. men's basketball tournament last night at the Cebu Coliseum.

Hardworking forward Charles Pepito charted 23 points, 14 rebounds and three steals, while Cameroonian banger Shooster Olago unloaded 19 points spiked with a dozen caroms and two blocks for the Warriors as they transformed themselves into a deadly one-two punching machine that dealt heavy blow on the Lancers all game long.

Pepito and Olago, showing no signs of wearing down after vaulting the Warriors to a 32-29 halftime lead, masterminded a blistering 16-3 rally early in the fourth period that put them on top by four, 60-56, after being down by as much as seven points, 47-54.

Victory was in sight for the Warriors with a 70-64 lead at the final 1:38 mark, but the Lancers put up a courageous fightback to forge a 70-all deadlock on a leaning jumper by spunky playmaker June Kent Manzo with 1.8 ticks to go in the regulation period. USC's Ian Tagapan fired an airball in the ensuing sequence, thus, the extension.

In the extra five-minute period, the two protagonists again figured in a  close battle but after the Lancers knotted the count for the 10th and last time at 74-all, Olago completed a three-point play, then Pepito scored on a hard drive in a five-point swing that sealed the deal for the Warriors, 79-74, with only 8.2 seconds left to play.

  Tagapan finished with 14 points for the Warriors, who will shoot for a three-game sweep when they take on the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars at the end of the semifinal round tomorrow.

 Drawing stellar performances from Kevin Villafranca and Ralph Dinolan with 46 points combined, the Jaguars stayed in contention after gunning down the dethroned champion Southwestern University Cobras, 81-75. (FREEMAN)