MANILA, Philippines — Centro Escolar University strung up defensive stops down the stretch to repulse Emilio Aguinaldo College, 76-67, in its Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup debut Monday at the Arena in San Juan.
The Scorpions built a double-digit lead late but it was their defense which got them through the Generals.
CEU saw its 12-point advantage dwindle down to half with Cameroonian center Noube Happi leading EAC’s comeback bid but the Scorpions held their ground – forcing two crucial turnovers that prevented the Generals from drawing closer.
“As the saying goes, ‘defense wins championships.’ And that is our philosophy. This is a new experience for us,” said CEU coach Egay Macaraya, whose team also participates in the PBA D-League under Cafe France.
Alfred Batiño had a team-high 15 points to lead three other CEU players in double-figure scoring.
The Scorpions won despite converting just 38% of their field goal attempts.
“Coach told us that it’s okay if we’re not lucky offensively because there’s no such thing as having bad luck in defense,” said Batiño in Filipino.
Happi had 19 points and 10 rebounds in a losing effort for the Generals, who turned the ball over 25 times.