Lancers surge ahead

By Marian C. Baring
Sunstar
October 10, 2007

University of the Visayas wily point guard Harry Von Lañete, who had been silent in the past few games, woke up from deep slumber to lift his team to taking Game 3, 80-68, over the University of San Carlos Warriors in their best-of-five championship series of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum.

For the past games, UV had proven to be slow starters, which had always given their opponents an opportunity to get ahead first as was the case in Game 1.

In their two losses to University of San Jose Recoletos and to USC, their opponents always built up good lead, and by the time that the Lancers get their offense running, it was too late.

Yesterday, UV head coach Elmer “Boy” Cabahug had the team warm up while the coliseum was only starting to fill up and the early workout seemed to power up Lañete, who exploded early with a furious first quarter that the floodgates for the Green Lancers.

Lañete became the barometer for the Lancers’ game success. If he clicked in the early periods, he dictated the outcome of the game. This was the scenario yesterday and the Warriors failed to stop it.

In Game 2, Lañete scored 18 points, and UV won. Yesterday, Lañete scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half as UV dominated the whole game.

USC only managed to edge closer in the second period when Enrico Llanto scored eight straight points to slice UV’s lead to just three, 30-33. However, Lañete, initiated a 12-2 run, spiked by two triples, which sealed their fate for good.

A strong defensive stand, and excellent perimeter shooting—the factors that gave the Warriors the victory in Game 1 were missing yesterday. Its top gunners, including Carlo Padayao, was reduced to scoring just 9 points.

The dynamic duo of Llanto and Niño Ramirez, on the other hand, succumbed to the overwhelming presence of the gigantic UV’s
defenders as they only scored 16 and 12 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, the physical match during Game 2 prompted USC to file a complaint with the commissioner’s office. They asked
commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy to review a video tape showing referees’ failure to make calls.

Tiukinhoy said that it cannot be helped that games get physical since basketball is a contact sport. He, however, met with
the referees prior to yesterday’s game to remind them to be more alert.

USC head coach Jay Ramirez also seemed still fired up Game 2 and during the warm up, he gave UV’s Ritchum Dennison a piece of his mind.

Dennison, in turn, retaliated and even challenged Ramirez to hurt him. That prompted the coach to stand up and shout at Dennison, which led deputy commissioner Rico Navarro to try and pacify Ramirez.

Game 4 will be tomorrow at the same venue. Before the game starts, the Cesafi will award the the winners in the juniors and girls divisions, while the special awards —Most Valuable Player and mythical five for both high school and college—will be named. (MCB)