WHAT was expected to be a tight contest turned out to be a walk in the park for Centro Escolar University as the Scorpions humbled the Olivarez College Sea Lions, 66-41, in Game 1 of their title series in the Universities and Colleges Basketball League Monday at the Olivarez Sports Center in Paranaque City.
The top-seeded Scorpions exploited to the fullest their size and heft advantage against the smallest squad in the seven-team tournament as they took the initiative early with their powerful inside plays.
Not even Olivarez’s vaunted pressure defense was enough to stop CEU from inching closer to winning the bragging rights as the league’s first champion.
Expectedly, it was the 6’5” Rod Ebondo, who led the team’s third quarter rampage that saw the Sea Lions take a 49-31 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play.
Ebondo finished with only 14 points, but hauled down 17 of the team’s 53.
Despite their hustle and energy, the Sea Lions grabbed only 40 boards—no thanks to CEU’s air-tight defense.
The Sea Lions did well in the first two quarters, shooting quite well and defending ferociously—thanks to their home crowd—as they fell behind by only six points (28-22) at the end of the first half.
But when Ebondo and company asserted their might inside, the Sea Lions found themselves helpless.
Jason Opiso and Orlan Wamar also shone offensively, helping Ebondo push CEU beyond Olivarez’s reach with their impressive shooting.
Wamar and Opiso fired three triples apiece of the team’s 11against Olivarez’s four of the game.
“We stared flat. That’s why the game was close in the first half. But we managed to make several adjustments in the second half,” said CEU coach Yong Garcia. “During the halftime break, I told my players to follow our game plan and they did. That’s the time we started pulling away,” said CEU coach Yong Garcia.
The win enabled the Scorpions to get back at the Sea Lions, who stung them at the end of the double-round elims, 65-63.
“I don’t want to say anything about Olivarez coming back strong in the second game. What we are going to do now is to make more adjustments in our defense. We will be more focus in our next game,” added Garcia.
The scores:
CEU 66 – Ebondo 14, Wamar 11, Opiso 11, Aquino 8, Guinataran 6, Arim 5, Manlangit 5, Casino 4, De Leon K. 1, Ehsan Veron 1, Umeanozei 0, Saber 0.
Olivarez 41 – Solis 15, Navarro 5, Belaso 4, Uduba 4, Saguiguit 3, Rabe 3, Bermudez 3, Singh 2, Geronimo 2, Sunga 0, Sala 0.
Quarters: 13-9, 28-22;, 49-31, 66-41.
Games Thursday
(Olivarez Sports Center, Parañaque City)
12 noon – TIP vs CDSL (Battle for 3)
2 p.m. – Olivarez vs CEU (Game 2)