Cobras defuse Bombers, gain semifinal berth

MANILA, Philippines - Southwestern University secured the first semifinals berth with a 65-57 win over Jose Rizal University in their quarterfinals encounter Monday in the 2014 Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at the Arena in San Juan.

The third-seed Cobras now await the victor of the FEU-La Salle quarterfinal matchup, who they will play on Friday.

Landry Sanjo had a monster double-double performance of 19 points and 19 rebounds, while Mac Tallo canned eight of his 13 points in the third, alongside his 10 boards.

Adam Mohammed had eight, while Antonio Pardo, who knocked back-to-back key three pointers in the third, finished with seven.

“Being in the Final Four is an honor already. We were there in the PCCL, so hopefully, now that we’re in the semifinals, well be in the Finals also,” said Cobras coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba.

“I told the players that we have to win this one. Sayang naman yung 5-1 kung di kami pumasok sa Round of Four,” the outspoken coach said, as SWU topped Group A in the eliminations prior to this encounter.

Engaged in a tightly contested battle in the first half, the Cobras broke loose in the third behind Tallo, and finished the period with two treys coming from Pardo to widen the gap to 13, 51-38.

SWU extended the lead to 19, 60-41, with seven minutes to play, before three-point bombs from Philip Paniamogan and Jaycee Asuncion spurred a 16-3 Heavy Bombers run to cut the deficit to just six, 63-57, with 2:17 to play.

Both teams failed to make a basket in the final two minutes, but a couple of miscues in the part of JRU, namely a rebound which slipped from the hands of Razak Abdulwahab, and Michael Mabulac fouling out, quashed their hopes of a comeback and sent SWU to the semis.