Archers shoot down Cardinals in PCCL

La Salle shut down Mapua in the last four minutes to eke out a come-from-behind 56-51 victory and kept its Sweet 16 hopes alive in the Metro Manila qualifying round of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League at The Arena in San Juan City today.

Luigi dela Paz led the Archers with 11 points while Almond Vosotros and Joshua Webb chipped in 10 apiece, but it was Philip Paredes' basket off a beautiful feed by Jarelan Tampus that gave them the lead for good as the Cardinals went on a power shortage.

"We have like less than a week to prepare and we have only 11 players to work on," said Gee Abanilla, the successor to Dindo Pumaren.

Abanillla, however, opted to sit on the sidelines and allow assistant Tyrone Bautista to call the shots.

"We're actually using this tournament as an assessment period, we hope to build on this win," added Abanilla, one of the assistants at Petron Blaze.

Jong Uichico, La Salle's consultant, in contrast, was more blunt on his assessment of the rebuilding Archers.

"Not so good," said Uichico, who is co-coach at Brgy. Ginebra.

The Archers could qualify to the Sweet 16 starting on Nov. 19 if they beat the Centro-Escolar U Scorpions, the Men's National Collegiate Athletic Association champions, who earlier downed the St. Francis of Assisi Doves, 68-50.