FilOil: Bulldogs romp on Chiefs, improve to 3-0

The National University Bulldogs continue to show how deadly their bite is this season.   This year’s UAAP host school prevailed against the Arellano University Chiefs, 76-64, Wednesday, to stay undefeated in the FilOil Flying V Pre-season Tournament at the Arena in San Juan.   The Bulldogs looked to score inside early. After initially running a series of backdoor lay-up plays that they failed to convert on, NU went to Cameroonian center Mbe in the post, who responded with six points in the opening frame.   Chiefs guard Rocky Acidre lead Arellano with eight points in the quarter, as his hot shooting coming off a pair of three-pointers and a one-footed fadeaway in the lane kept his team within a point of the Bulldogs, 17-16, after one quarter.     National University got to a hot start in the second period, with former CSB Blazer Mark De Guzman pouring in eight points of a 10-3 run for the Bulldogs in the first two and a half minutes. The capper was back-to-back triples that boosted his squad to a 27-19 advantage, forcing Arellano head coach Koy Banal to whistle for a timeout.   Arellano appeared to recover after the pause, testing the Bulldogs' offense. On one play, NU forward Kyle Neypes was stripped in the post, leading to a two-handed slam on the break by guard AJ Serjue, who had eight points in the first two periods.   However, the Bulldogs would regain control in the first half’s final three minutes, penetrating the Chiefs' defense at will. NU scored its last eight points in the paint to edge Arellano at the half, 37-30.   The Bulldogs exploded in the third period for a game-best 24 points, leaning on their defense to create transition opportunities on the offensive end. The Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run, highlighted by a pair of high-low plays for Javillonar and an up-and-under move in the lane by Parks.   On the other side of the court, Arellano was left searching for answers in the period as NU's defensive rotations effectively kept them out of the paint, resulting in dead-end drives and hasty midrange jumpers. Save for a 6-0 run borne of a series of rare NU miscues, the Chiefs were limited to only four made field goals and 17 points in the period.   Up 61-47 with a quarter to play, Arellano could not pull off another comeback, like they did against Lyceum, allowing the Bulldogs to notch the victory.   Excellent floor defense keyed NU's win, limiting the Chiefs to 38 percent shooting from the field. NU also flustered Arellano into cough up the ball 20 times, converting them into 24 points on the other end. It was the third straight game for the Bulldogs to score at least 20 points off their opponents’ miscues and at least 14 markers in transition.   Bobby Ray Parks headlined a balanced attack for the Bulldogs with 16 points on 9 for 15 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, five assists and a steal. Forward Jeoff Javillonar and rookie Mark De Guzman canned 15 and 13 points, respectively, while Cameroonian center Emmanuel Mbe had nine points and 15 rebounds, though he was responsible for a third of the team’s 15 turnovers.   Fil-Canadian AJ Serjue led the Chiefs once more with 14 points, while Rocky Acidre was the only other Chief in double-figures, finishing with 10.   The victory allows NU to continue to lord it over in Group B, topping the standings with their 3-0 record. Only the Adamson Soaring Falcons have yet to lose as well, though they have played just one game. Arellano on the other hand, fell to .500 with a 1-1 card. – AMD, GMA News     The scores:   NU 76: Parks 16, Javillonar 15, De Guzman 13, Mbe 9, Alolino 9, Villamor 7, Rono 3, Neypes 2, Celda 2, Labing-isa 0, Ignacio 0, Singh 0   AU 64: Serjue 14, Acidre 10, Ciriacruz 9, Forrester 8, Pinto 8, Cadavis 6, Caperal 5, Salcedo 2, Lunas 2, Hernandez 0, Malanday 0, Bangga 0, Suarez 0   Quarter scores: 17-16, 37-30, 61-47, 76-64 FilOil 042512 NU vs AU