La Salle makes it two collegiate titles, out-shoots SWU for PCCL crown

2013 may just be the year of the archer.

The De La Salle University Green Archers, reigning UAAP titlists, added the PCCL championship to their mantle, following a 70-61 win over the Southwestern University Cobras, the Southern Island representatives, in the 2013 Philippine Collegiate Champions League, Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

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

DLSU won the best-of-three series after besting SWU 64-54 on Monday. The Cobras actually won their Final Four encounter, 68-58 in overtime, a week prior.

It is La Salle’s second championship in the league, having defeated Ateneo back in 2008. SWU was the second CESAFI team to make it to the Finals, but they were unable to make history by becoming the first to win it all.

After a flat start in game one, Southwestern University endeavored to come out strong, and a long jumper by Mark Tallo gave them a 13-9 lead, 2:44 left in the first period. However, the tough attempts that were connecting began to misfire, allowing DLSU to close out the quarter with 10 unanswered, 19-13.

The Green Archers’ run continued in the second, as an 11-2 blast had the UAAP champs doubled up on their CESAFI foes, 30-15, 3:17 to go. Monbert Arong finally scored the Cobras’ second field goal of the period for a 2-of-12 clip at that point, and then Adam Mohammed followed that up with a trey, 30-20, 1:33 left.

A strong drive by Jeron Teng was matched by an incomplete and-one play by Fabrice Siewe, but it was Norbert Torres who had the last say of the first half, keeping his team’s lead above 10, 34-22, headed into the intermission.

Jeron Teng had 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting plus three assists and a block at the break, while Gab Reyes added seven markers. Mark Tall led SWU with six points, two boards, two assists, plus a swipe. Landry Sanjo managed just four points, plus four turnovers.

DLSU shot 42.4 percent from the field, while SWU was held to a 31 percent clip.

The Archers continued to lead comfortably after the break, but stye lost starting point guard Thomas Torres to a closed fist on his defender Monbert Arong, under four minutes into the third. However, SWU blew a golden opportunity to attack their deficit, missing the two charities and then traveling on the bonus possession.

Now running point, a pair of Almond Vosotros triples gave his team a 15-point buffer, 46-31, but play-making by Mark Tallo, resulted in a 4-11 blast, getting SWU’s deficit down to single-digits, 50-42. Jason Perkins however got the hoop and the harm with just a second left on the clock, rebuilding La Salle’s double-digit lead, 53-42, with one quarter left.

Southwestern attempted to mount a rally, opening the canto with a 9-3 blast, to get within five, 56-51, 7:15 remaining in the game. However, Daryl Goloran was whistled for his fifth foul, and as he left the floor, he leveled a finger at one of the referees, who slapped him with a technical foul. That begat a definitive 12-0 run, which included a pair of outlet passes to wide open Green Archers under the hoop, 68-51, 2:47 left.

Refusing to go down without a fight, SUW scored a quick 10 points, getting to within seven with 40 seconds left after Tallo came up with a steal and fed Arong for a quick layup. Off a timeout though, Teng closed this one out by finding Jason Perkins for the dagger.

Jeron Teng led the way with 16 points, four rebounds, five assists and a block. Almond Vostros, despite a gimpy ankle tallied 15 markers, plus two boards, three dimes and a steal. Jason Perkins meanwhile compiled a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards.

Landry Sanjo paced the Cobras with 16 points and 13 boards, Mark Tallo scored 15 and dished out eight dimes.

SWU got a 21-12 difference in turnover points, but missed free throws (53.3 percent versus 72.2 percent for DLSU) and three-point shots (16.7 percent against 41.7 percent).

DLSU head coach Juno Sauler was named Best Coach after the win. Two Cobras, Landry Sanjo and Mark Tallo, and three Green Archers, Jason Perkins, Almond Vosotros, and Jeron Teng, were named to the Mythical Five, with Teng also winning MVP with averages of 17 points, five rebounds and five assists, complementing his UAAP Finals MVP prize. - AMD, GMA News


The scores:

DLSU 70 - Teng 16, Vosotros 15, Perkins 14, Reyes 7, Bolick 5, Van Opstal 4, N. Torres 4, T. Torres 3,  Tampus 2, Montalbo 0, Salem 0

SWU 61 - Sanjo 16, Tallo 15, Goloran 12, Arong 10, Mohammed 3, Holper 3, Siewe 2, Bautista 0, Panerio 0, Ortega 0, Bregondo 0

Quarter scoring: 19-13, 34-22, 53-42, 70-61