Cesafi Finals: IT'S ON - UV vs SWU

The Southwestern University (SWU) Cobras and the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers forge another chapter in their storied rivalry tonight when they battle for all the marbles in Game One of the best-of-five finals series in the 13th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men’s basketball tournament at the Cebu Coliseum.

It remains to be seen though, just how many pages this chapter will be especially with the dominance that SWU has brazenly displayed this season. In 12 games this season, SWU has emerged victorious 12 different times. Three of those times came at the expense of UV. And while the Cobras have been challenged each time by the Lancers, it just seems that SWU has far more mettle and gumption than their green-clad rivals.

70-66. 68-64. 77-70; these are the scores by which the Cobras vanquished the Lancers in their encounters during the elimination. But let us look beyond the numbers and see that while it can be argued that any of the three contests could have gone either way, it is my belief that when it comes to the Cobras, the sum is definitely better than its parts.

Let me explain: I have known head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba for quite a while now, way back when he used to patrol the sidelines for the south’s most successful commercial basketball team – the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos. This guy does not do anything half-heartedly and his track record definitely shows it. And so it goes without saying that when he got the call to man SWU back in 2011, he was looking to burnish an already-formidable legacy with some more hardware at the collegiate level.

So far he has not gone wrong, winning the first last year after being denied by June Mar Fajardo and the rest of the University of Cebu Webmasters in his first season at the helm. Winning a title often breeds complacency. Not for SWU as Alcoseba teamed up with management and set in motion a plan to not only establish the school as the most dominant force in southern basketball but also make a dent on the national scene.

How? In a move unprecedented for a team coming off a successful run, SWU retooled more than three-fourths of the roster through diligent and shrewd recruitment. Gone from the squad were key players such as starters Joseph Nalos, Bon Guillena, super imports Ben Mbala and Justin Aboude and key reserves Junrey Ortuyo and John Pajantoy. Now you’re thinking – how does one go about replacing such a stellar group of players?

Easy. You go get an even better crop of players and they sure don’t come any more exceptional than this group bannered by the sensational Mark Jayven Tallo – Cebu’s prodigal son who shunned the bright lights of Ateneo and La Salle in order to come home and be the engine that drives this SWU juggernaut. Then there are the imports: Landry Sanjo and the behemoth-like Fabrice Siewe – the pistons that make the wheels turn for the Cobras with their unshakeable presence inside the shaded lane. Add to that mix Filipino-Canadian Adams Mohammed, a fiery ball of energy packed in a 5-foot-11 package and you have exactly this: a squad that has gone unbeaten in 12 straight games.

To say the least, these is a special recruiting class but make no mistake, Alcoseba has imposed his general-like will upon this group with the direct order being: PLAY TOGETHER. And what do soldiers do when given an order by a general? They check their egos at the door and fall in line and that is exactly what this group has done from the get-go, and it has paid dividends.

Don’t get me wrong, UV has a great team but their overall vibe feels like a hastily-formed mishmashed group that just doesn’t match up well with the Cobras. Resident import Steve Akomo has been reduced to very-tall cheerleader while new import Mike Nzuesseu barely makes a impact when ranged against the physical presence of both Sanjo and Siewe. League MVP Wowie Escosio continues to be haunted in his dreams by the incessant chants of “MVP BANGA” while both Rhaffy Octobre and Chris Perolino – lanky forwards with nice touches from the outside – continues to underwhelm as they play out of position day in and day out. The only steady presence on this year’s edition of the Lancers is John Abad – the preseason MVP who has lived up to his reputation by continually finding and exploiting cracks in the SWU defense and making them pay in one of two ways: a booming three-pointer or a nifty teardrop down the lane.

In spite of all these, the Lancers remain to be the Cobras’ biggest threat and at any point, can break out of this long-drawn losing spell no doubt brought about by their monumental collapse in the series-deciding Game Five last year wherein they led by an astounding 17 points with just seven minutes left to play only to lose by a single point.

Now can the Lancers finally get over their demons? Or will the Cobras’ venom seep even deeper into the veins of UV? No doubt, the answers are coming this week. And all we have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy this fierce rivalry as it gets even testier with a lot on the line at this stage of the competition.

Are you a green-blooded Lancer? Or an orange and blue-striped Cobra? Let your allegiances be known! Mag-istorya ta!

Finals Schedule

Game 1: September 24, 6:45 pm
Game 2: September 26, 6:45 pm
Game 3: September 28, 4 pm
Game 4: September 30, 5 pm (If necessary)
Game 5: October 2, 5 pm (If necessary)

Check out this gallery of images from SWU and UV's three battles so far this season!