Archers, Lions dispute PCCL crown

Game Thursday

(Ynares Gym)

4 p.m. – San Beda vs La Salle

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle eyes a third title while San Beda shoots for its ever crown as the two collide Thursday in Game One of the best-of-three championships in the 2014 Philippine Collegiate Champions League at the Ynares Gym in Pasig City.

Led by Cameroonian rookie Ben Mbala, the Archers swept their way to the finals in four games while the Lions needed to beat Cebu's University of San Carlos via tiebreaker to clinch the other spot.

Gametime is set at 4 p.m.

Game Two is on Monday while a decider, if necessary, is on Tuesday.

La Salle, which swept Southwestern University in two games last year, is eyeing to join arch-rival Ateneo as the only three-time winners of this annual league being done to determine the best college team in the land today.

"We'll just come out there and give it our best to win," said La Salle coach Juno Sauler.

San Beda, for its part, is eyeing to become the first NCAA team to win a league that produced its first 10 champions from the UAAP.

"It's all about pride," said San Beda acting coach Adonis Tierra.

Tierra said the key will hinge heavily on who between Mbala and San Beda's Nigerian behemoth Ola Adeogun plays better.

"Ola himself admitted that he was outplayed by Mbala the last time we played," said Tierra, whose charges fell to the Archers, 56-61, in an Elite Eight game last Friday.

"But he (Adeogun) promised to make up for it by playing hard in the championship," he added.

Tierra also mentioned stopping Jeron Teng.

"Aside from Mbala, we also need to find ways to make it hard for Jeron Teng. If we could do that, we'll have a chance.

Meanwhile, the all-Cebu battle for third place between USC and University of Visayas was rescheduled from Thursday to Monday.