PCCL: DLSU cruises past SWU to win first finals game

The DLSU Green Archers came out of the gates guns blazing to move within one game of clinching the PCCL Championship by beating the SWU Cobras 64-54. It was a completely different result from the first game between the two teams, which was a 68-58 overtime victory that went into SWU’s favor.

Vengeance was sweet for the Green Archers as they came out with more intensity and focus, shaking of the rust that spelled their only defeat in the PCCL. Going up by as many as 22 points, the Green Archers settled themselves and stopped a late SWU rally that cut the lead to as low as nine, with a little over three minutes remaining.

“Last week it was our first game and all of us were relaxed,” Jeron Teng shared after the game. “This time it’s the championship so all of us really wanted to win.”

Thomas Torres opened the scoring for DLSU and along with Teng combined for 15 of DLSU’s 21 first quarter points. The lead ballooned to 13 by halftime, 34-21, as strong bench play and three-point baskets from Gabby Reyes, Luigi Dela Paz and Thomas Torres highlighted the Green Archer’s charge in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, the Green Archers began to pull away, as they limited the Cobras to just 11 points in the quarter, while scoring 20 to come out with a 22-point cushion heading into the third quarter. SWU wouldn’t go down without a fight as the Cobras brought the lead down to single digits with only three minutes left in the game. After a DLSU timeout, the Green Archers buckled down on defense and pushed their lead back to double digits as Thomas Torres completed a three-point play.

Teng led the Green Archers with an all around game of 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Thomas Torres contributed 15 points, 12 of which were scored in the first half. Norbert Torres was the third and final Green Archer in double figures with 10 points.

DLSU capitalized on SWU’s errors in this game, scoring 22 points off turnovers and preventing the Cobras from generating any offensive rhythm.

Game two of the best-of-three finals will be tomorrow, December 17, at 4:00 pm, and will be held at the San Juan Arena. Coach Juno Sauler and his squad will look to close out the series and bag the championship tomorrow to cap off an amazing run in 2013, highlighted by their winning the UAAP Championship last October.