INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?JP Belencion sizzled from three-point range as the Letran College Knights ousted defending champion De La Salle University Green Archers, 83-72, in the ?Sweet 16? of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League Wednesday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

Belencion knocked in 30 of his career-high 36 points from beyond the arc, including back-to-back triples that quashed a late Archers rally and pushed the Knights ahead by 14 points, 80-66.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles, the top seed following their back-to-back UAAP title romp this season, also advanced after trouncing the Lyceum Pirates, 73-63, in the second game.

Nico Salva buried 17 points for the Eagles, who surged ahead, 63-36, in the third period.

Belencion, a 6-foot-1 swingman who averaged only 5.9 points in the NCAA, registered a sizzling 52.6 percent from beyond the arc.

His 10 three-pointers turned out to be the most number of triples shot in one game this year both in the UAAP and NCAA.

?Our shooters keyed that win,? said Letran coach Louie Alas. ?With that kind of shooting, any coach could have won that game.?

Letran will take on the winner between NCAA titlist San Sebastian College and Cebu?s University of San Carlos in the quarterfinals of the knockout event that gathers the best collegiate teams in the country.

Ateneo de Manila University will clash with the victor in the UST-Jose Rizal University tussle.

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws and San Beda College Red Lions also trounced their first-round assignments last Monday.