CEBU CITY — University of the Visayas dashed the semifinal hopes of Southwestern University with a crushing 94-64 win on Tuesday in the 17th Cesafi basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.
UV scored their ninth win in 10 games. Joining the Green Lancers in the semifinals are University of San Jose-Recoletos at 8-2, University of San Carlos at 6-4 and University of Cebu, which owns a 6-5 card. The semifinal seedings will be determined as the elimination round wraps up this week.
Skipper Josue Segumpan led UV with 16 points and three assists, while Jerome Napao had 12 points, five rebounds and four steals.
Reigning league MVP Rey Suerte and rarely-used big man Ubert Villaceran had 10 points each.
The Cobras were trailing by just two, 18-20, after the first, but the wheels fell off as UV surged in front with 13 straight points, 11 coming from Napao and Sheldon Gahi.
Things just worsened for the Cobras thereon as the Green Lancers took advantage of the rudderless SWU-Phinma defense, ending the first half with a 17-2 blast to head to the dugout with a 27-point lead, 53-26.
Shaquille Imperial led a rally to get the Cobras to within 10 points, 55-65, but the Green Lancers held steady and scored the next five points.
Imperial scored 16 points for the Cobras, who suffered their seventh loss in 11 games.
The scores:
UV 94 - Segumpan 16, Napao 12, Suerte 10, Villaceran 10, Maestre 8, Soliva 8, Gahi 6, Albina 5, Cabahug 4, Balabag 2, Saga 2, Hassan 1
SWU 64 - Imperial 16, Luz 9, Ugsang R. 7, Molina 6, Racho6, Polican 5, Fernandez 5, Roncal 4, Nazareno 3, Bilao 3
Quarterscores: 20-18; 53-26; 70-55; 94-64.