Blue Eagles slaughter Visayas champs
“Naka-tsamba na naman kami.”
Easily one of the most quotable coaches in all of Philippine college basketball, a jolly University of Santo Tomas head coach Pido Jarencio was all smiles following their Philippine Collegiate Champions’ League finals berth-clinching three-point victory over San Beda College on Friday at The Arena in San Juan.
The Growling Tigers survived a horrific first half start and reignited their engines in the final 20 minutes to eke out a 63-60 victory against the three-time defending NCAA seniors basketball champions.
Aljon Mariano led the second half rally by scoring 11 of his 16 points during that stretch. Karim Abdul neutralized San Beda’s frontcourt tandem, sans the injured Ola Adeogun for the second straight game, with his 12 points and 12 rebounds in the ballgame.
“In spite na wala si Ola (Adeogun), naging competitive sila. Kami naman masyado namang nag-relax,” noted coach Jarencio about today’s game. “At the end, may killer instinct to win. May desire to win.”
The Red Lions led by as much as 13 points at the start of the 2nd quarter, but the UAAP men’s basketball runners-up rallied back and completed their comeback by the midway point of the third quarter on Mariano’s three-point play conversion with 4:19 left.
Since then, the game went nip and tuck and the Red Lions never regained the lead after after Anjo Caram’s three-pointer at the 2:55 mark of the third.
Kyle Pascual, who was mostly on the receiving end on a number of San Beda’s 24 assists, led all scorers with 18 points. Art Dela Cruz and Ryusei Koga added 10 apiece in a losing cause.
Ateneo de Manila University kept their hopes for the second Finals berth alive, following a 96-78 victory over CESAFI titlists Southwestern University in the day’s first game.
Greg Slaughter, playing in just his second game since Game 2 of the UAAP Finals, scored 18 points to lead all scorers.
“We played with more energy as compared to (our) last game (against UST),” said interim head coach Gabby Severino. “It’s a big boost that (veterans Greg Slaughter, Nico Salva, and Oping Sumalinog) were in practice.”
BOX SCORES
First game
ATENEO (96): Slaughter 18, Ravena 16, Salva 10, Sumalinog 8, Gonzaga 8, Porter 7, Pessumal 6, Chua 6, Tiongson 6, Elorde 6, Golla 3, Capacio 2, Lim 0
SOUTHWESTERN U (78): Arong 17, Mbala 15, Guillena 12, Aboude 11, Ortuyo 10, Goloran 7, Bregondo 6, Pajantoy 0, Nalos 0, Dedace 0
Quarters: 23-12, 50-31, 72-55, 96-78
Second game
SANTO TOMAS (63): Mariano 16, Abdul 12, Teng 12, Ferrer 8, Daquioag 5, Afuang 4, Fortuna 4, Bautista 2, Pe 0, Lo 0
SAN BEDA (60): K. Pascual 18, Dela Cruz 10, Koga 10, Mendoza 6, Caram 5, J. Pascual 4, Amer 4, Dela Rosa 3, Ludovice 0
Quarters: 15-25, 35-39, 53-48, 63-60
