Tey Teodoro continued his solid play as Jose Rizal U trounced University of the East, 67-62, for its second straight victory, while Ateneo and La Salle evened their records in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup in San Juan on Sunday.
Teodoro, the stocky left-handed guard from San Juan, fired 20 points, while John Grospe chipped in 10 points as the Heavy Bombers followed up their impressive win over the Green Archers on Saturday by bringing down another UAAP squad at Filoil Flying V Centre.
With Teodoro and Grospe on the firing end and Mark Dela Virgen providing the spark, the Heavy Bombers built enough cushion in the third period to weather a late uprising by the Warriors, who dropped to 1-1.
“I like what I’m seeing from the team,” said JRU coach Vergel Meneses. “We’re moving the ball well. We’re sharing the ball and that’s why we were able to beat the press.”
Meneses hopes his team can sustain its disciplined play that has highlighted its first two games.
“The consistency on offense is there and the effort on defense,” said Meneses. “But we also want to grow as a team. We’re not that talented where we can beat anybody by scoring. This year, our defense is our best offense.”
The Blue Eagles slipped past the Letran Knights, 78-76, for their second win in four outings, while the Archers whipped the Perpetual Help Altas, 94-71, in the third game.
Tyler Tio, who sat out last season due to eligibility issues, fired 17 points, while Thirdy Ravena contributed 15 points for Ateneo, which scored its second straight win while spoiling Letran’s debut in the pre-season tournament.
Ben Mbala exploded for 30 points as the Archers took the fight out of the Altas early before rolling to their first win in two games. La Salle led by 20 points heading into the final period as Perpetual struggled to cope with the Archers’ firepower that saw eight players scoring at least six points.