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Games today:
(Cebu Coliseum)
4:30 pm – UV vs CIT (jrs.)*
6 pm – UV vs USJ-R (srs.)*
Game 1, best-of-three semifinals
The Southwestern University may have won the battle, but ultimately lost the war.
This after the embattled Cobras won over the University of San Carlos Warriors, 74-66, in their knockout match for the last semifinals slot in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc (CESAFI) seniors division basketball tournament only to have their victory nullified, late Tuesday night at the Cebu Coliseum
Since SWU opted to field their suspended players, namely starters Eliud Poligrates and Rene Pacquiao along with reserve guard Jeff Pria, the win was forfeited and automatically given to the Warriors, thus setting up a best-of-three semifinals affair between USC and top-seeded University of Cebu starting Saturday.
The three were suspended for playing in unsanctioned tournaments while the Cesafi event is still ongoing. Poligrates, SWU's star guard, was found to have played under the name “J. Mangubat” last October 5 in Brgy. Calunasan while Pria and Pacquiao played in Opon, Lapu-Lapu last Oct. 8.
The Cobras were supposedly eliminated after losing to the Warriors in their quarterfinal game last October 4. However, that win was nullified after it was found out that Warriors' guard Paul Joven played in a tournament in Minglanilla last Sept. 27.
The suspensions to the SWU players were hotly contested by their management and the decision to field them in was to make a statement that their players were guilty of no wrongdoing, according to SWU athletic director Ryan Aznar.
Unfair decision
“Ngano i-punish man ang among players nga wala man na silay sala. Those players are just victims, they should not be treated that way. They should have treated our case differently from Joven's and before any decision was made, dapat gitimbang sa nila ug maayo. Wala man mi nangita ug gubot pero dapat, they should come up with a fair decision,” said Aznar in an interview yesterday.
The SWU braintrust was informed before the match that should they field in any of their suspended players, the win would automatically be given to USC. The Cobras defied the order and fielded both Poligrates and Pacquiao. Pria came in moments later, giving the semifinal ticket to the Warriors on a silver platter. The match was allowed to continue for the sake of the paying public.
Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy remained mum about the issue but said that a decision will soon be announced. He was meeting with the Cesafi Board of Trustees as of this writing.
The Cobras dominated the entire match from opening tip until the final buzzer. Pacquiao had 15 points to lead SWU while Poligrates added 14 markers. Chris Litorja contributed 12 points.
Meanwhile, the semifinal round continues today with 8-time champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers taking on the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. Both teams will be without key players UV's Junjun Lasala and USJ-R's Abulaiz Suliman for their failure to come out of the locker room during a Slam Dunk contest in the CESAFI All-Stars.
The UV Baby Lancers and the Cebu Institute of Technology Wildkittens will also start their semifinal affair at 4:30 pm.
