La Salle-Greenhills advances to NBTC Finals, disposes of Chiang Kai Shek
De La Salle Greenhills advanced to its first finals appearance after tackling down Chiang Kai Shek College, 81-64, in the Final Four of the National Basketball Training Center National Finals Thursday at Mall of Asia Arena.
The Greenies, the reigning NCAA champions, used a strong third quarter and outscored the Blue Eagles 26-11 in the period to take a 58-40 lead going into the fourth.
Despite the Blue Eagles’ scheme to employ a full court press in the fourth period, the Greenies were still able to balance Chian Kai Shek’s defense with a fast-paced offense.
The Blue Dragons displayed a semblance of fight late in the fourth quarter when they trimmed the deficit to 12, 71-59, but Joel Cagulangan was quick to respond with a three-pointer with two minutes left for the Greenies’ 81-59 lead.
La Salle head coach Marvin Bienvenida was the personification of relief and happiness after his team had played for four straight games.
“We’re happy we’re winning our games and it’s our fourth consecutive day playing all out and I’m just happy with the experience the boys are getting,” said Bienvenida. “I thought playing for four consecutive games will take a toll on our conditioning and endurance but they were really challenged by the lineup of Chiang Kai Shek.”
Although the Blue Dragons held a massive 51-37 rebounding edge, with 26 of Chiang Kai Shek’s boards coming off the offensive glass, they weren’t able to convert those second chances to points.
La Salle held Chiang Kai Shek to a paltry 32 percent shooting, 26-of-82, while shooting at a more respectable 31-of-60 clip.
Cagulangan led all scorers with 25 points while also dishing out six assists for the Greenies.
Jacob Lao added 17 points to La Salle’s cause while McCoy filled the stat sheets with 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.
John Galinato led the Blue Dragons with 15 points but labored in the offensive end, going 5-of-21 while Evan Agbong finished with an 11-point, 19-rebound double-double.
