NU Bulldogs forward Bobby Ray Parks drives against SBC Red Lions forward Rome Dela Rosa in their Filoil Flying V Pre-Season match on Saturday. (FCF / Vyn Radovan)

Parks bails Bulldogs out in pre-season opener

Bobby Ray Parks wore his late dad’s number and went ablaze in the opener of the FilOil Flying V-Hanes Preseason Cup to lift defending champions National University Bulldogs past NCAA champs San Beda Red Lions in overtime, 73-71, at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan on Saturday.

Parks, sporting PBA Hall-of-Fame import Bobby Parks, Sr.’s jersey number 22, sank an elbow three-pointer off an assist from Troy Rosario with two seconds to go to tie the game in regulation, 64-64.

Parks and Rosario then connived in the extra period, combining eight points from the paint to bully the Lions’ interior defense.

Red Lion senior Rome de la Rosa could have tied the game in the last second but he muffed a contested 18-footer against the double team of Parks and Kyle Neypes.

Parks led the Bulldogs with 23 points while Rosario had 12 points, which included the pivotal two-hand slam off the former’s muffed free throw in overtime, which put the Bulldogs ahead for good.

On the other hand, the Red Lions, now coached by the debuting Boyet Fernandez, had four players scoring in double figures.

In the second game, last year’s runner-up De La Salle Green Archers repulsed UAAP runners-up University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 73-67, to spoil the sensational games of Jeric Teng and Aljon Mariano.

Trailing almost the entire match, La Salle was lifted by American rookie Jason Perkins, scoring eight inside points in the final canto and hauling crucial rebounds to secure the opener for the green and white.

He tallied 17 points and 13 rebounds for a stellar preseason debut while erstwhile reserve Gab Reyes added 13 points. Reigning UAAP rookie of the year Jeron Teng and veteran point guard Almond Vosotros contributed 10 apiece.

The Growling Tigers, mentored by assistant coach Estong Ballesteros, relied heavily on Jeric Teng and Mariano, who scored 31 and 28 points, respectively. Three other players scored only a basket each for the Tigers’ cause.

In the third game, the Ateneo Blue Eagles trounced Cebu champions Southwestern University Cobras, 77-72, to give new coach Bo Perasol his first win as head coach of the Blue Eagles.