PCCL: La Salle Green Archers get revenge, take game one of Finals versus SWU Cobras

After getting surprised by the Southwester University Cobras in game one of the PCCL Final Four round robin, the De La Salle University Green Archers vowed to be more prepared for their rematch in the Finals. It certainly showed in their play.

The Green Archers came out like a house on fire and never trailed in this one, as they routed the Cobras, 64-54, Monday at the FilOil Flying V Arena, to take game one of the best-of-three PCCL Finals.

[Related: Tallo, SWU Cobras stun DLSU in Final Four]

The Mark Tallo-fueled Cobras shocked DLSU last week in overtime, 68-58, but the reigning UAAP champions never trailed in this one, as they got out to a 13-2 start and never looked back.

Last week, DLSU dispatched the NCAA titlists San Beda, while SWU bested Far Eastern University, to reach the Finals.

The starting point guards of the two teams, Thomas Torres and Tallo, got things going, forging a 2-2 deadlock, but the CESAFI runners-up wouldn't score again until the 3:49 mark of the first period, on another Tallo connection, with the difference at 13-4 by that point.

In response, Thomas Torres scattered five markers, en route to a 21-8 difference after 10 minutes.

SWU opened with a 7-3 run in the second quarter, getting within nine, 24-15, but Luigi Dela Paz hit a trey to snap their momentum. Another five-point cluster by Thomas Torres created even more room, and Norbert Torres made it a 13-point difference entering halftime, 34-21.


By the intermission, DLSU only had three less turnovers than their foes, 9-6, but the Green Archers got 15 markers off those miscues, while giving up just two to the Cobras.

Jeron Teng took over in the third, scoring 11 of his team's points. He also found Gab Reyes on the last play of the period for a jumper that squeaked in under the clock, to establish their biggest lead of the game, 54-32.

Five straight by Southwestern U. kept the Cobras in this one, 54-37, but a Gab Reyes triple and a fancy move by Teng negated their progress. Down but not out, the Cobras exploded for a 15-2 blast, with the only scores from DLSU being two Norbert Torres charities, as the visitors from Cebu made it a nine-point affair, 61-2, with 3:14 remaining.

However, they could not completely overhaul their deficit, as sloppy play on both ends saw two scoreless minutes for La Salle and SWU. It was Thomas Torres who put this game away though, completing an and-one play to push the Archers' lead back to double-digits, 64-52, with just a minute and change remaining.

Jeron Teng finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. Thomas Torres added 15 markers, while out-playing his counterpart Tallo, who managed just six. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

DLSU (64) – Teng 18, T. Torres 15, N. Torres 10, Reyes 9, Bollick 5, Perkins 4, Dela Paz 3, Vosotros 0, Montalbo 0, Salem 0, Van Opstal 0, Tampus 0

SWU (54) – Sanjo 16, Arong 11, Goloran 7, Mohammed 6, Tallo 6, Bregondo 4, Siewe 2, Bautista 2, Holper 0

Quarter scoring: 21-8, 34-21, 54-32, 64-54