ST. CLARE and Diliman College overwhelmed separate provincial foes at the start of the Luzon-Metro Manila regional games of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) yesterday at First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (Faith) gym in Tanauan City.
The Saints cruised past Lyceum of Subic Bay, 74-59, while the Blue Dragons tripped Naga College Foundation, 65-54, as the two winners advanced in the tournament’s stepladder, knockout round.
Raymond Jamito unloaded 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Saints over the Sharks, who bowed out of the nationwide varsity league just a day after ruling the North-Central Luzon qualifers in Dagupan City.
Jason Ibay poured in all of his 10 points in the first half to fuel the fiery start of the Saints, the Metro Manila leg champions who next battle the Blue Dragons in another do-or-die game at 2 p.m. today.
NCAA semifinalist Perpetual Help and Centro Escolar University, the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (Naascu) titlist, collide in the 4 p.m. game, also at Faith gym.
Ibrahim Quattara posted a huge double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds to power the Blue Dragons, who raced to a 13-point halftime lead, 36-23.
But the NCF Tigers, the winner of the South Luzon-Bicol qualifiers, managed to close in at 49-44 in the fourth canto before the Dragons regained control with an 11-2 spurt to push the lead back up to 60-46.
The St. Clare-Diliman duel will be a rematch of the Metro Manila leg finals where the Saints came out triumphant.
Both squads, though, advanced to the regionals as Diliman took the slot left by Ateneo, which begged off from the event.
La Salle and Jose Rizal University, the two other teams that qualified in the regionals, will open their bids on Sunday.
Only the last surviving team in the Luzon-Metro Manila games will join the Elite Eight cast made up of UAAP champion National University, NCAA titlist San Beda, Far Eastern University, Arellano, Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) finalists Southwestern University and University of San Carlos, and Visayas-Mindanao winner University of Visayas. Jasmine W. Payo