DE LA SALLE notched its second win in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup with a 97-75 demolition of University of the East (UE) Red Warriors on Friday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Big man Ben Mbala and senior forward Jeron Teng each scored 24 points to pace the Green Archers in a match where they led all throughout.
“I think we handled their press break pretty well,” said La Salle Head Coach Aldin Ayo, who made no bones about his wards’ reaction to the rough play. “I told them to be tough and to play tough. We have to get used to that.”
The closest the Red Warriors got to chipping down La Salle’s lead was at 27-23, but the Green Archers steadily piled on the points highlighted by three Mbala dunks that brought the house down.
“It felt good to be able to play like that,” the 21-year-old Cameroonian said. “I’ve been waiting three years to do that.”
In addition to his 24 points, Mbala added 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and four shot blocks.
“Big Ben played big for us,” Ayo noted dryly. “If you look at the stats, we were pretty much even with UE. But aside from handling their press, we shot the ball better.”
The Red Warriors, who dropped to 1-1 in the Premier Cup, were led by Team B call-up Alvin Pasaol, who finished with 13 points. Edgar Charcos backstopped him with 10.
In the day’s other big seniors match, Letran, harried, clawed and taunted by the Lyceum Pirates all match long, showed its championship mettle in the clutch to win its inaugural match, 89-84.
Rey Nambatac hit two triples, one to break at 72-all deadlock for the last time, and a crucial lay-up in the fourth quarter to lead the Knights.
It was the Knights who had to play catch up for the most part with Lyceum, which was buoyed by its first win of the tournament over Mapua, 91-82, last Wednesday, May 4. After Lyceum’s Shaq Allanes hit back-to-back triples to give the Pirates a 30-24 lead at the start of the second period, Letran found its stabilizing force in Bong Quinto, who tallied 10 points, two assists, two steals and one block.
Come pay-off period, it was Nambatac who delivered the killer blows to the Pirates, who were led by Wilson Baltazar’s 19 points and Joseph Gabayni’s 12 markers.
“We aren’t fully satisfied with our team’s efforts,” said Letran’s new coach Jeff Napa. “We still have a long way to go.” Napa, who won three titles with National University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines juniors division, pointed to his team’s 20 turnovers. “We might have scored more turnover points but we kept giving the ball away in crucial situations.”
Letran turned the ball over six times in the fourth period alone.
With 1:44 left in the match and Letran leading 87-82, Knights point guard McJour Luib floated a lazy pass to Nambatac that Baltazar intercepted. The latter scooted in for a lay-up but lost the handle on the ball. Lyceum forced another turnover but Gabayni muffed two free throws. Lyceum managed another stop when Reymar Caduyac stole the ball from Nambatac after which he scored on a lay-up to make it 84-87 with 47 second left.
Nambatac redeemed himself with a layup and Lyceum missed a triple to close down the gap as time ran out. “We had our chances,” noted LPU head coach Topex Robinson. “Hopefully, we will learn from this.”
During last year’s Premier Cup under then first year head coach Aldin Ayo, the Knights held opponents to 65 points and 39% field goal shooting in nine matches. In their first match of the 2016 tourney, they surrendered 84 points and allowed Lyceum to hit 49% of their shots. “Right now, I’d say we’re close to getting the new system,” offered Nambatac in the vernacular. The fourth year shooting guard backstopped Quinto’s 18 points and eight rebounds with 17 points of his own. “We’ll get there. But right now, we learn as we go.”
In other matches, the Lyceum Junior Pirates shocked National Collegiate Athletic Association champion San Beda Red Cubs with a pulsating 81-78 win behind the 21 points and 16 rebounds of six-foot-seven center Erlan Umpad.
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos
1 comment
Arriba Letran!!!!