FilOil: CEU Scorpions stay perfect, sink Lyceum Pirates in the quarters

After finishing the elimination round with an immaculate 6-0 record, the top-seeded CEU Scorpions were heavy favorites against the Lyceum Pirates who got into the quarterfinals as one of two wildcard teams.

Despite a gutsy challenge, the Scorpions were able to turn away the Pirates, 64-51, to secure a semifinal berth in the FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup, Monday at the FilOil Flying V Arena.

The Scorpions will face the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal tilt between the National University Bulldogs and San Beda Red Lions on Friday.

CEU won the game by dominating the defensive space inside the arc. The Scorpions enjoyed a size advantage across all positions, effectively throttling the Pirates offense, which shot just 8-of-46 from two-point range, a paltry 17 percent. Most Pirate drives were met with resistance at the rim, and the Scorpions finished with more blocked shots than made Pirate two-point field goals, 9-to-8.

The Scorpions used a balanced scoring attack to stretch the Pirate defense as five different CEU players scoring at least eight points. Sweet-shooting forward Rodel De Leon led CEU with 14 points. Import Rodrigue Ebondo finished the game with a solid double double, 11 points and 11 rebounds.

A fourth-quarter charge by LPU forward Guy Mbida cut the Scorpions lead to just six with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Pirates fell into an offensive drought midway through the period, failing to capitalize on turnovers committed by the Scorpions. Triples from De Leon and a rare three-pointer at the two-minute mark from Ebondo proved to be the daggers CEU needed to seal the game.

“It was a really great win for us,” said CEU head coach Edgar Macaraya. “As I’ve said, my team doesn’t have any star. They [our players] all contribute to this win. They have to compose themselves when it became close at the end. But credit goes to my boys.”

The Pirates won the rebound battle 49-47, turned the ball over just 11 times versus 17 Scorpion turnovers, though they lost the assists battle by two, 11-9. Both teams shot a subpar mark from deep, 27 percent and 23 percent for the Pirates and Scorpion respectively. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

CEU 64- De Leon 14, Abundo 12, Ebondo 11, Sedurifa 9, Batino 8, Jeruta4, Casino 3, Opiso 2, Banua 1

LPU 51- Mbomiko 12, Zamora 11, Mbida 9, Ko 6, Maconocido 4, Azores 3, Bulawan 3, Taludua 2, Lesmoras 1