PCCL: Green Archers oust JRU to advance

The defending champion DLSU Green Archers escaped a late rally by the JRU Heavy Bombers in their first game in this year’s Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) with a final score of 67-62.

The future looks bright for La Salle as the squad was led by rookies Ben Mbala and Joshua Torralba who carried the team in their respective debuts. Mbala finished with nine points, 14 rebounds, and one block, while  Torralba contributed nine points of his own. Veteran forward Jeron Teng played lesser minutes compared to his usual UAAP outings, but contributed eight points in the game played at the First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) Gym in Tanauan City, Batangas.

​The Green Archers were without the assistance of some veterans, namely Almond Vosotros, Norbert Torres, Jason Perkins, Arnold van Opstal, and Julian Sargent as PBA D-League commitments and personal reasons got in the way of their participation. However, Vosotros and N. Torres remain part of the official PCCL lineup, and may suit up for the Green Archers after their D-League stints.

La Salle dominated the Heavy Bombers at the start of the first quarter. JRU was outhustled as La Salle’s rookies Mbala and Torralba were the ones leading the charge. A putback dunk by Mbala with 5:23 minutes left was part of his total six points and nine rebounds in the first quarter alone, while Torralba shined in the final seconds, scoring four points and a buzzer beater to end the quarter, 21-14. Moreover, the Green Archers continued to cruise past JRU at the start of the second quarter with the lead continuing to grow with the presence of Ben Mbala, ending the first half with a 12-point lead, 38-26.

JRU’s Philip Paniamogan was starting to get his shooting streak by the end of the second quarter, scoring six points in that period alone. Paniamogan scored a game-high 22 points for the Heavy Bombers, and he was also one of those who contributed in the late rally by JRU during the final seconds of the game.

​At the start of the second half, coach Juno Sauler kept his veterans intact, as Jeron Teng, Prince Rivero, Robert Bolick, and Matt Salem scored a total 15 points in the third quarter, and maintained a respectable 11-point lead, 53-42.

​La Salle continued to dominate at the start of the fourth quarter, maintaining a constant double-digit lead. After Thomas Torres sunk two free throws with 41 seconds left to extend the lead to 13, it seemed as if the game was already sealed in favor of the Green-and-White.

​Philip Paniamogan was not ready to give up however, as after the inbound, he immediately buried a three-pointer that put the lead back to 10, with only 32 seconds remaining. Cris De la Paz joined the late rally by scoring a quick two, cutting the lead to only eight points. De la Paz was not done, as he got fouled in the next play and split his free throw, 66-59. As a last chance, De la Paz was able to steal the inbound pass of La Salle and quickly drained a three-pointer to cut the lead by just four points, 66-62. La Salle milked the clock to their advantage, though, eventually getting the win via a clutch free throw by T. Torres, 67-62.

​With the win by La Salle, the JRU Heavy Bombers are now eliminated from the competition while La Salle advances further into the qualifiers. The Green Archers shall face the CEU Scorpions tomorrow 2 pm, also at the FAITH Gym in Tanauan City, Batangas. The winner of tomorrow’s game would complete the final eight teams that would compete for the PCCL crown.