Amer, San Beda knocks off De La Salle, sets up fiery semis showdown

San Beda forward Rome Dela Rosa makes his move against De La Salle guard Jeron Teng in their 2013 Filoil Flying V Pre-Season Premier Cup quarterfinals match. (FCF / Vyn Radovan)

In a pair of instant classics, the second pairing in Friday’s semifinals will be explosive.

National University, behind the fourth quarter performance of Alfred Aroga, barely squeezed past “lucky loser” Letran, 69-67, in their 2013 Filoil Flying V Pre-Season Premier Cup quarterfinal match on Wednesday at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Cameroonian big man, who posted seven of his nine points in the match during the payoff period, slotted in a crucial and-one play with 24 seconds left in the match to put the Bulldogs up for good. Bobby Ray Parks once again carried the NU five on his shoulders, scoring 16 points and swatting away two shots, including a desperation trey by Ford Ruaya at the buzzer to seal the game.

“I felt that we were one step slow all the time, but no excuses,” said National University head coach Eric Altamirano. “I felt Letran played more relaxed today. But I liked the poise of the boys today.”

In a back-and-fourth match that saw both squads exchange the lead nine times, the Bulldogs jumped on with a 12 point advantage early in the second half before the Knights completed a huge 21-5 run by the start of the fourth period, thanks to a combined 10 point output by Raymond Almazan and Mark Cruz.

But poor decision making from the Knights late in the match, including the foul committed by Jamil Gabawan on Aroga and the off-target trey from Rey Nambatac, doomed their Cinderella run.

Cruz, who is now on his third year with the Knights, led the way with 16 points. Rookie two-guard Nambatac, a former youth team player from the Letran juniors’ program, fired 11 points in the loss.

San Beda, on the other hand, upended De La Salle in an epic comeback in the last quarterfinal match, 66-63.

(FCF / Vyn Radovan)

Third year guard Baser Amer, who struggled to make a shot in the first three quarters, put up all of his eight points in the final three minutes to lead a 13-point charge that saw their counterparts from Taft go scoreless in the same stretch. Arthur Dela Cruz tallied 14 points and 11 rebounds to top all Red Lions, followed by Rome Dela Rosa’s 12 points.

“We’re down probably like seven or eight points at the start of the fourth (quarter), but they don’t want to lose,” said San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez.

“(Baser Amer) has been playing bad the first three quarters, but he steps up when we need him,” added the first-year mentor.

Throughout the match, the Green Archers could not snatch away the lead from their former NCAA foes until late in the third when Jeron Teng’s stickback jumper started a 9-2 spurt that opened up a seven point advantage after three quarters, 53-46.

But as the Taft five built up their comfortable lead to 10, their guns fell silent to the roar of the Lions.

Almond Vosotros scored 16 points, followed by Jeron Teng’s 15 in the Green Archers’ losing effort.

Meanwhile, top squads Far Eastern University and De La Salle University forge their showdown in the women’s division finals on Wednesday.

The Lady Tamaraws exiled perennial WNCAA contenders Centro Escolar University, 68-64. Camille Sambile finished with 21 points and five rebounds, while Marites Albano added 12 points for FEU.

On the other hand, the Lady Archers edged out University of Santo Tomas, 71-66, in their half of the semifinals slate. Trisha Piatos finished with 20 points, while Cass Santos added 15 for DLSU.