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The Hotel Fortuna-Southwestern University Cobras has boldly done what no other team has done before: stop the University of the Visayas Green Lancers from reaching the finals of a Cesafi event.
This, the Cobras achieved when they shocked the Prime Asia-backed Lancers, 76-69, in the deciding Game 3 of their best-of-3 semifinals of the Cesafi Partner's Cup last Tuesday at the jampacked Cebu Coliseum.
The win shoved Hotel Fortuna to the final round against the Enervon C-University of Cebu Webmasters in a best-of-five affair starting next week. The latter closed out their own semifinals series with a, 96-88 Game 3 win over defending champion University of San Jose-Recoletos-Ave Maria Sanctuary Park.
The Cobras' feat came as a major shock considering that the Lancers have ruled over the Cebu collegiate basketball scene for the better part of the decade, winning eight straight titles in the Cesafi and bagging the first ever Partner's Cup championship in 2007.
However, the Cobras paid little respect to statistics as they rallied from an early 11-point deficit to stun the mighty Lancers.
Eliud Poligrates, the Cobras' flashy point guard, showed he has more substance than style as he canned a three-pointer to give his squad a four point cushion with 55 ticks left on the clock. Before that, reigning Cesafi MVP Greg Slaughter scored a tough layup that allowed the Lancers to creep to within a point, 67-68 with 1:01 remaining in the intensely-fought match.
On the ensuing possession, after a timeout by the Cobras, Poligrates who was left wide-open on the right wing, received the inbounds pass, then launched the high-looping three-pointer that all but broke the Lancers? backs. Eric Zanoria and Alfred Belande then ensured their historic victory with crucial free-throws.
Poligrates scored 21 points, a huge improvement from his dismal 10-point performance in Game 2. He scored 10 of those in the third period, eight coming from a furious 9-2 rally that gave the Cobras a 50-41 lead. Belande, who was nicknamed ?Mr. Savior? by the gym announcer, lived up to his moniker by scoring eight of his 18 points in the final period.
