Stags dethrone PCCL champ Blue Eagles

(Updated 7:04 p.m.) San Sebastian College became the first NCAA team to win the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) national championship dethroning reigning titlist Ateneo, 73-67, Thursday at The Arena in San Juan City.   The Golden Stags, losing finalist to the San Beda Red Lions in the 87th NCAA, foiled the Blue Eagles' three-peat bid.   Calvin Abueva finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks while Ian Sangalang had 19 points and 15 rebounds as the Stags focused on their offensive game and orchestrated a stifling defense to beat the three-time PCCL champion and this season's UAAP titlist Blue Eagles.   “We played hard, smart and have fun in winning this kind of championship,” said San Sebastian coach Topex Robinson. “I told the boys that I'm going to be hard on them on defense.”   “We can't win if we are just going to keep on scoring against these guys so we had to make stops,” Robinson added.   No team from the NCAA has captured the national title since the league's inception in 2003 so it was a sweet victory of sorts for the Stags after losing the Red Lions via a two-game sweep.   Robinson also registered his first title as a head coach aside from capturing the Best Coach trophy in the tournament.   The Stags, after ending the first quarter holding a slim 17-16 lead, started out strong in the second period to erect a 30-19 edge that gave the Recto-based dribblers enough cushion the entire game.   The Blue Eagles managed to come to within four twice in the fourth period (61-57 and 71-67) but the Stags, who topped the Final Four round robin to clinch the twice-to-beat edge in the finals, didn't let up.   The Stags overcame a 56-51 defeat against Ateneo last Monday to set up the knockout match for the national title.   Kirk Long and Juami Tiongson tallied 11 points each for the Blue Eagles, who are aiming for their fourth PCCL overall title.   Greg Slaughter scored 10 while Kiefer Ravena and UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nico Salva were held to seven and five points each.   Sangalang was named the PCCL Finals MVP and was named in the Mythical Team together with Abueva, Slaughter, Salva and University of Cebu's Junmar Fajardo. — JVP, GMA News