CEBU CITY, Philippines – The defending champions La Salle Green Archers completed a sweep of their southern sojourn with a 74-64 victory over the University of the Visayas Green Lancers in the Elite Eight stage of the 2014 Philippine Collegiate Champions League National Collegiate Championship Friday night at the Cebu Coliseum.
In the second game of the double-header, the University of San Carlos Warriors exacted revenge on their Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) tormentors, the Southwestern University Cobras, with a 74-68 victory. Both La Salle and USC now share the lead in Group A with identical 2-0 win-loss records.
Cameroonian Ben Mbala scored 19 points while Jeron Teng added 10 markers. However, both players rode the pine in the fourth period, leaving Robert Bolick, Abu Tratter and Larry Muyang to carry the squad to the win.
After a 39-32 lead at halftime, the Archers stepped off the gas pedal and the Lancers took advantage with John Abad making a triple and Jun Manzo scoring back-to-back layups to close the gap at 51-52, heading to the final frame.
But the Archers found their second wind in time and started the fourth with two free-throws each from Thomas Torres and Larry Muyang.
Bolick then sparked a 14-2 blast with a drive and a triple before Daryl Pascual and Tratter got in on the scoring act, making a three-pointer and a slam dunk, respectively to erect a 71-54 lead, four minutes to go.
In the second game, the Warriors got clutch performances from Cameroonian Shooster Olago, guard Kiefer Lim and forward Nico Magat to down their bitter rivals and virtually eliminate them from title contention.
The Warriors led by as many as 13, 55-42, heading to the final frame but the Cobras, behind the inside play of Landry Sanjo and the three-point sniping of Melvin Holper made their way back, with the latter’s triple and a split from the line by Jasper Parker pulling them to 65-66. But Lim responded with a mid-range jumper to push their lead to three, 68-65, 2:30 to go.
An exchange of baskets between Olago and Sanjo and a split from the line by Cobras’ guard Jovanie Luz sliced the deficit to two, 68-70, but Magat answered with a pull-up jumper from the right wing to push their lead to four, 72-68 and Lim punctuated the win with two clutch free-throws with 10.5 seconds remaining.
Olago led the way for USC with 23 markers.
The scores:
First Game
La Salle 74 – Mbala 19, Teng 10, Bolick 9, Muyang 7, Tratter 6, Mustre 5, Pascual 5, Torres 4, Rivero 3, Montalbo 3, Salem 3
UV 64 – Codilla 16, Abad 15, Perolino 8, Akomo 6, Segumpan 5, Santillan 4, Manzo 4, Mpouma 2, Soliva 2
Quarterscores: 21-22, 39-32, 52-51, 74-64
Second Game
USC 74 – Olago 23, Magat 13, Lim 12, Rabat 8, Bensig 6, Arjon 5, Toyambi 5, Tagapan 2
SWU 68 – Sanjo 20, Parker 15, Holper 14, Goloran 8, Tallo 7, Bregondo 2, Luz 2
Quarterscores: 15-16, 28-31, 55-42, 74-68