Cobras battlecry: Stop Teng, Archers

Game tomorrow

4 p.m. – La Salle vs SWU

MANILA, Philippines - While stressing the need to play defense on La Salle, Southwestern U coach Yayoy Alcoseba wants his wards to zero in on Jeron Teng when the Cobras and the Archers open their best-of-three series for the 12th PCCL crown at the Arena in San Juan tomorrow.

The Cobras held the Archers to 58 points to hack out a surprise 10-point victory in their semis faceoff last Monday with Teng limited to just seven markers. But the UAAP champions bounced back with two victories, including a thrilling 64-60 triumph over the NCAA titlists San Beda Lions to clinch the other finals berth.

SWU routed an undermanned Far Eastern U side, 86-71, to barge into the finals.

“We need to play really tough defense to beat La Salle again and we must find a way to make it difficult for Jeron (Teng),” said Alcoseba.

The Cobras did shut down Teng the first time they met as the king Archer muffed all but one of his 10 attempts and turned the ball over three times.

“Jeron (Teng) takes a lot of shots and I don’t like it when he takes really hasty ones,” said La Salle coach Juno Sauler. “But he’s a clutch player and our go-to-guy so I guess he needs it to heat up.”

“You could also see in his face and actions that he really wants to win this tournament,” he added.

But SWU is also out for history with the Cobras trying to become the first team from outside Metro Manila to top the annual tournament staking P100,000 to the winner and the bragging rights as the best collegiate team in the land.

By making it to the finals, the Cobras already became the first team from the Visayas to do so since the Greg Slaughter-led University of Visayas Lancers lost the crown to the Ateneo Eagles six years ago.

Alcoseba, meanwhile, is seeking his second national crown in almost three decades after steering University of San Jose Recoletos, then headed by Jojo Lastimosa, Dondon Ampalayo and Zaldy Realubit, to the National Inter-Collegiate Championship by beating Samboy Lim and the Letran Knights in Cagayan de Oro in 1985.

“It’s been a while since I won a national title as a coach,” said Alcoseba, himself a former USJR standout while playing side by side with PBA legend Abet Guidaben.