INQUIRER Sports

Game today (USC Gym)

5:30 pm ? UV vs San Beda

THREE-TIME NCAA champions San Beda Red Lions got a neat lesson in dominance after being routed by former Liga national champions M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Ninos, 87-100, in an exhibition match yesterday at the University of San Carlos gym.

The Ninos displayed the veteran smarts and the offensive firepower that have made them the top seed in the upcoming ?Super Leg? of the Liga Pilipinas Conference 3, as they pummeled the Red Lions in the third period, 36-26.

Behind the three-point sniping of Stephen Padilla along with Ian Saladaga and Mark Ababon, the Niños established a 22-14 lead in the first quarter and maintained that edge at halftime, 44-34.

The Red Lions threatened to come back as they unleashed a furious 15-7 run anchored on 6-foot-8 American center Sudan Daniel and wingman Garvo Lanete that cut the lead down to just two, 51-53 before the Ninos, responded with two straight baskets by Ariel Mepana to push the lead back to six.

The Ninos then unloaded a, 23-7 run including eight from Saladaga that gave them a 20-point bulge, 80-60, heading into the final period where the lead reached a high of 22 at, 93-71.

Padilla led the Ninos with 15 points while Nailon and Saladaga each had 13 points. Daniel paced San Beda with 18 points while Lanete chipped in 16.

The loss by San Beda came on the heels of their 76-71 win over the USC Warriors last Tuesday.

Today, the Red Lions will meet nine-time Cesafi champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers in a potential match-up in the PCCL round-of-eight. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio