FilOil: Armon, San Beda drub Perpetual; a win away from a sweep

Filipino-American guard Julius Armon scored 20 first-half points as reigning NCAA titlist San Beda College made short work of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 74-55, in the FilOil Flying V Pre-season Cup Friday at The Arena in San Juan City. The Red Lions, who will leave to train in the United States Friday night, have now won seven of their eight Group A matches, clinching a berth in the cross-over quarterfinals on June 6, where they will face the No. 4 team in Group B. Armon also had five rebounds and four assists. Nigerian center Ola Adeogun had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds also for the Red Lions. San Beda showed its full range of offensive options as eight players scored at least five points. Rookie coach Ronnie Magsanoc also used his entire bench as no Red Lion played more than 20 minutes in the blowout victory. The Red Lions never gave the Altas, who mounted huge rallies in their previous losses against UAAP champion Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UST Growling Tigers, the chance to comeback this time and handed Perpetual Help its third straight loss. The Red Lions held Perpetual Help to a league-low seven points in the first quarter with Armon displaying his offensive firepower with an array of moves for 12 markers in the period. Perpetual Help would only break into double-digit scoring with six and a half minutes left in the second period, as forward Anthony Paulino made his first points from the free throw line. Paulino's charities keyed a short-lived 8-2 surge for Perpetual in a two-minute span, with Juneric Baloria chipping in four markers. Armon, however, countered by scoring San Beda's last seven points in the half in an electric fashion. The guard made a lay-up, forced a turnover for a breakaway dunk and drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer for a 44-22 Red Lions lead at the turn. San Beda continued with its romp in the third, opening the quarter with a 10-2 run behind a display of seamless offensive execution. The Red Lions ran several pick and roll plays, setting up easy baskets for both Kyle and Jake Pascual and Adeogun as the trio combined to score 12 of San Beda's 18 points in the period. San Beda allowed the Altas to only four field goals in the third canto with the last two made by Earl Thompson in the last 30 seconds, including a long ball that the referees ruled valid after the time expired. Thompson led the Altas with 14 points.  The Red Lions have one more game remaining on their schedule, a battle with this season's NCAA hosts, the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights, on June 2. — JVP/AMD GMA News