(UPDATED) -- The Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma Cobras put an end to the three-year reign of the University of the Visayas as they dethroned the Green Lancers, 64-60, in the deciding Game Three of the 2019 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) men's basketball tournament at the packed-to-the-rafters Cebu Coliseum on Friday, November 22, 2019.
The victory wrapped the best-of-three series up, 2-1, in favor of the Cobras, to hand them their very first Cesafi title since 2014 and third overall.
The Cobras tried to take the fight out of the Green Lancers in the second period, which they kicked off with 12 unanswered points. Leading by just six, 21-15, after the first, SWU-Phinma's Senegalese sensation Lamine Thiam kicked things off with a thunderous slam dunk and followed it up with a fadeaway jumper. The Cobras then followed with a barrage of points from Shaquille Imperial, Red Cachuela and Dyll Roncal to raise their lead to 33-15 before it settled at 37-22 at halftime.
However, UV showed their championship mettle in the third. Down by 18, 22-40, the Green Lancers went on a 23-4 tear to seize the driver's seat, 46-44, heading to the last frame. Gileant Delator, Lass Coulibally and Jancork Cabahug all sizzled during that pivotal run that gave the Green Lancers a shot at taking a fourth straight title.
The Cobras did not get fazed and regained the lead, 59-58, after wingman Gerald Fernandez got fouled while shooting a jumper and made two free-throws with 1:55 to go.
UV's offense then went nowhere as they committed a 24-second shot-clock violation, and then, on the other end, Roncal got fouled by Cabahug while attempting a triple. Cool as ice, Roncal made the first two but missed the last throw. However, Cobras big man Red Cachuela recovered the loose ball and handed it off to Roncal who again got fouled and made one of two from the line for a 62-58 lead with 32 ticks remaining.
UV stayed with it and pulled to 60-62 after a lay-up by Coulibally, time down to just 19.1 seconds.
SWU-Phinma guard William Polican left no doubt as to where the title would go to as he got fouled and swished both free-throws for a 64-60 lead with just 8.9 seconds remaining to seal the victory and the championship for the Cobras.
Cachuela led SWU-Phinma in scoring with 14 points and five rebounds while Most Valuable Player Shaq Imperial and Roncal had 13 markers apiece, the latter adding five boards and five steals. Thiam had just nine but complimented his performance with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.
Coulibally paced UV with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
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