PCCL: DLSU enters finals with win over Red Lions

Champions of their respective mother leagues, the DLSU Green Archers and the SBC Red Lions battled it out in a tightly contested match at the San Juan Arena, with the former prevailing over their NCAA counterparts, 64-60, to advance to a best-of-three finals series against the SWU Cobras for the PCCL crown.

“Our game plan was just to focus on stopping them one possession at a time,” shared DLSU’s top scorer Jeron Teng.

Teng led a late charge in the crucial minutes of the game, capping off a seven to nothing run with a three-point play to take the lead with less than a minute remaining, 60-58.

Almond Vosotros then padded the lead to four with a sidestep jumper with just 34 seconds remaining, but San Beda’s Arthur De La Cruz finished off a great inbound play to cut the lead to a single possession. On the ensuing possession, Almond Vosotros fumbled a long jumper then grabbed his own rebound before he found Jason Perkins under the basket to seal the win by four points, 64-60.

Teng totaled 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Perkins had a double-double performance of 15 points to go with 14 boards. Almond Vosotros added 12 markers and five rebounds to DLSU’s cause. In addition, head coach Juno Sauler’s squad had a 49-36 rebounding advantage.

The two champions showcased top-notch defense throughout the game with the biggest lead at just seven including six deadlocks and eight lead changes. The game picked up its pace in the middle of the third quarter as DLSU orchestrated a 9-0 run to put them up 41-34. San Beda made a big 11-0 run of their own from baskets by Baser Amer, Rome De la Rosa and Ryusei Koga to take the lead back 47-46.

The Mendiola-based squad were bannered by Arthur De La Cruz 19 points and five rebounds, while Amer and SBC’s behemoth center Ola Adeogun had 15 and 14 points respectively.

Both teams fought in a 74-all benefit game last December 7, now DLSU comes off in top to advance to the next round where they will face another champion, the CESAFI champions, SWU Cobras. “More than the result, it was the opportunity to play against San Beda,” adds Coach Juno Sauler after the game.

The Green-and-White look to replicate the feat of the 2007-2008 Green Archers led by Coach Franz Pumaren who won the UAAP and PCCL championship in the same season. They begin to dispute the right to be called national champions against SWU on Monday, December 16. The two teams had crossed paths in the PCCL just recently with the squad from Taft bowing to SWU, 68-58 in overtime.

The scores:

DLSU 64: Teng 23, Perkins 15, Vostros 14, N. Torres 6, Salem 4, T. Torres 2, Bollick 2, Montalbo 0, Van Opstal 0, Tampus 0

SBC 60: De La Cruz 19, Amer 15, Adeogun 14, De La Rosa 5, Sara 3,  Pascual A. 2, Semerad 2, Ludovice 0, Mendoza 0,  D. Semerad 0, Koga 0

Quarter scores: 17-16, 25-27, 46-47, 64-60