Game Monday
4 p.m. – La Salle vs SWU
MANILA, Philippines - La Salle outdueled San Beda in a pressure-packed finish, winning the clash between the country’s collegiate champions, 64-60, yesterday for a crack at the 12th Philippine Collegiate Champions League crown against Cebu pride Southwestern U at The Arena in San Juan City.
The Cobras smothered the undermanned Far Eastern U Tams to fashion out an easy 86-71 victory in the other semis duel and earn a shot at history as the first provincial team to win the crown in the league which gathers the country’s top varsity squads.
Jeron Teng took charge in the clutch, scoring eight fourth quarter points, including five that helped La Salle overhaul a five-point deficit and post the tough win that lined up the Taft-based squad for another championship after bagging this year’s UAAP diadem.
Game One of the best-of-three finale is set Monday, also at the Arena.
Almond Vosotros and Jason Perkins also came through with some clutch plays with the former scoring a basket that gave the Archers a four-point cushion and making a key offensive rebound off his own miss before setting up the latter for the finals clincher.
But it was Teng, the reigning UAAP Finals MVP, who stood out as he led all scorers with 23 points while coming up with eight rebounds and four assists.
“You can see how Jeron (Teng) really wants the win,†said La Salle coach Juno Sauler.
The win thus set La Salle for a payback match with SWU, which shocked the former, 68-58, in overtime at the start of the round-robin semis last Monday at the Blue Eagle Gym.
The La Salle-SWU finale also relived some rivalry between Manila and Cebu.
“That’s the good thing about this league because it makes people realize that there is also a great college team in the South,†said Sauler.
Game Two is on Tuesday while a deciding Game Three, if necessary, will be played next Thursday.
Monbert Arong exploded with 23 points, including 12 in a series of runs in the second quarter, as the Cobras turned a 14-16 first quarter deficit into a 43-27 bulge at the turn. They were never threatened again from there.
Cameroonian behemoth Landry Sanjo imposed his will inside as he finished with 19 points, a game-high 15 rebounds and three blocks while reigning CESAFI MVP Mark Tallo and Fil-Canadian Adams Mohammed added 16 and 15 points, respectively.
SWU thus became the first team from Cebu or outside Metro Manila to make the finals since a Greg Slaughter-led University of Visayas side reached the championship only to lose to eventual champion Ateneo six years ago.