CEBU CITY — University of San Carlos got back at finals tormentor University of the Visayas, 78-73, in the Cesafi basketball tournament on Sunday at the New Cebu Coliseum.
Playing without a foreign player this season, the Warriors asserted themselves inside the shaded lane as Kent Cabanog debuted with 17 points, including a basket with under a minute to go that doused water on UV’s furious rally.
Victor Rabat also scored 17 points and had five rebounds, three assists and two steals while former Arellano University big man Julius Cadavis contributed 10 points, three boards and three assists.
The Green Lancers led at 47-46 before the Warriors uncorked a 14-2 run that bridged the third and fourth periods to erect a 60-49 lead. Cadavis, Rabat and Cabanog scored all but two of those points in that sizzling run.
The Warriors pushed their lead to 14 points, 72-58, after back-to-back three-pointers from Lucky Ecarma and Rabat with 2:49 left.
Jerome Napao, Liberian forward Bassiere Sackor and Rey Suerte pushed the Lancers to within four, 68-72, with 1:19 to go but could not sustain the run as Cadavis and John Saycon sealed the win for the Warriors.
Napao led UV with 14 while Sackor, who played only in the second half, added 13. Josue Segumpan and Suerte added 11 each. Monic Soliva, a Mythical Five member last season, went scoreless in 21 minutes of action.
The scores:
USC 78 — Rabat 17, Cabanog 17, Cadavis 10, Mangubat 9, Ecarma 6, Tan 5, Trangia 4, Saycon 4, Oguis 3, Araw-Araw 3
UV 73 — Napao 14, Sackor 13, Segumpan 11, Suerte 11, Albina 9, Testa 6, Cabahug 3, Gahi 2, Hassan 2, Maestre 1, Balabag 1
Quarterscores: 14-16; 32-31; 53-47; 78-73.