PCCL: Tallo, SWU Cobras stun DLSU in Final Four 

Ex-DLSU Green Archer Mac Tallo flipped a switch in overtime and willed the Southwestern University Cobras to a 68-58 overtime victory over his former team in the Philippine Collegiate Championship League Final Four, on Monday at the Blue Eagle Gym, in the Ateneo de Manila University.


Tallo cranked it up a notch in overtime, going hard to the rim for SWU, while Holper, brother of former PBA player Mike Holper, struck twice from deep to deliver a 64-58 lead. While DLSU wilted under the Cobra’s defensive pressure, Arong chipped in another trey at 1:16 to make it a nine-point hole from which the Archers would not climb out of.

SWU went 6-of-8 from the floor in overtime, including 3-of-4 on three-pointers. The Archers were 2-of-8, and missed their only three-point attempt.

The Cobras are back for the second year in a row in the PCCL Final Four after besting the CESAFI champions, the University of Visayas Green Lancers. Meanwhile, the UAAP champions DLSU were granted an automatic Final Four berth. They last qualified for the Final Four in 2010 and are seeking their first national collegiate title since 2008.

Tallo scored the game’s opening basket, but DLSU were the aggressors early on, as Jason Perkins’ four points in the paint helped establish an 8-3 tally. The Cobras were eager to push the ball, but were unsuccessful for most of the quarter. SWU got their second field goal of the game at the 3:09 mark, as Adam Mohammed score an and-one off a jumper. However, they didn’t break into double-digit scoring, as Kib Montalbo and Oda Tampus scored off turnovers to build a 16-9 first quarter lead.

In the second period, the Archers were stymied on offense and instead relied on three-pointers from Almond Vosotros and Matt Salem to compensate for several turnovers. SWU turned the tables on DLSU, as Landry Sanjo caused problems in the post, while Monbert Arong terrorized the driving lanes. The SWU team captain repeatedly went unchecked en route to the rim, 26-23, with two minutes to play. However, Thomas Torres connected on a floater in the last 20 seconds, and charities by Robert Bolick as time expired allowed the Archers to claim a 30-23 halftime advantage.


Arong continued to surge after the break, scoring six of their first 10 points to trim the gap, 34-33. But the Cobras went dry in the last four minutes, while DLSU’s reserve lineup found a couple of scoring chances on the fast break, 37-33, to end the period.

The Cobras bucked an early lull in the fourth with a 13-6 rally against the Archers’ usual starters, spiked by triples from Mohammed and Melvin Holper, 46-43.

The game finally got hairy in the last four minutes, as both teams looked for high-percentage shots. Sanjo and Jeron Teng each scored four of their teams’ next six points during a tense exchange, 52-49.

DLSU tied the game after a Perkins bucket, followed by Teng split charities off a non-shooting foul, 52-52. The Cobras called a timeout to set up Sanjo in the post, though he missed a hook shot from the right block. With about a shot clock left in the game, La Salle tried to win the game but Vosotros missed a long two, and Perkins failed to get his put-back attempt to go as time expired in regulation.

Thomas Torres bannered La Salle with 12 points, while Jason Perkins snagged a double-double with 10 points and 13 assists. UAAP Finals MVP Jeron Teng secured eight rebounds but was held to just seven points on 1-of-10 field goal shooting.

Arnold Van Opstal did not suit up for DLSU today owing to a hip contusion. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

SWU 68 - Arong 17, Tallo 13, Mohammed 12, Sanjo 11, Holper 9, Goloran 4, Siewe 2, Pardo 0, Bautista 0, Panerio 0, Bregondo 0

DLSU 58 - T. Torres 12, Perkins 10, Teng 7, Salem 7, Vostoros 6, N. Torres 4, Tampus 4, Montalbo 2, Dela Paz 2, Reyes 2, Bolick 2

Quarter scoring: 9-16, 23-30, 33-37, 52-52, 68-58