DEFENDING champion La Salle turned back Cebu collegiate powerhouse Southwestern University, 59-54, at the start of the Elite Eight of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League at Cebu Coliseum.
Prince Rivero made a key basket to give the Green Archers a 57-54 edge with half a minute to play, enough cushion for the Taft Avenue-based squad to hold off the Cebu collegiate champions.
La Salle import Ben Mbala later pulled off a defensive gem that practically sewed up the match, setting up two free throws by Robert Bolick that iced the count.
Mbala was actually playing against the very same team he steered to the Cebu collegiate crown two seasons ago and he finished with eight points, six in the final period.
Teng topscores
Jeron Teng led La Salle with 11 points while Rivero and point guard Tomas Torres scored nine each.
Southwestern U was led by Mark Tallo, coincidentally a former La Salle player, with 17 points, including a bunch of baskets in the third period to stem an attempted Archers breakaway.
After a tight first half, the Archers stepped on the gas and jumped to a nine-point lead, before Tallo rallied the Cobras to within a single point.
The two teams engaged in a tight encounter the rest of the way, with La Salle managing to pounce on key breaks and turning to Mbala underneath the basket on the way to the victory.
University of San Carlos, which lost to the Cobras in the Cebu collegiate finals, and Far Eastern University, the runnerup in this season’s UAAP wars, were still playing at press time.
The scores
LA SALLE 59—Teng 11, Rivero 9, Torres 9, Mbala 8, Pascual 6, Bolick 4, Torralba 2, Mustre 2
SWU 54—Tallo 17, Parker 15, Valdor 7, Bregondo 6, Goloran 3, Luz 2, Sanjo 1
Quarters: 12-16, 29-27, 45-44, 59-54