Filoil Flying Pre-season Cup: Arellano spoils UST; UP routs CSB

MANILA—Andrian Celada shone down the stretch to haul the already-out-of-it Arellano Chiefs past the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 64-63, Friday in the Filoil Flying Pre-season Cup at the Arena in San Juan.

Celada set up the seldom-used import Chris Okpe for the game-winning fastbreak lay-in with 19.7 seconds to go after completing a four-point play that finally evened up the count with a little over a minute.

Celada, carrying the scoring cudgels this year for the Chiefs in lieu of injured main gunner Isiah Ciriacruz, knocked down 30 big points that went with nine rebounds and four dimes.

“We just got lucky,” said a laughing Arellano head coach Leo Isaac. “We just wanted to be consistent in this game and we had positive results.”

Five unanswered points to open up payoff period  brought the Chiefs back in contest paced Celada.

The Chiefs, playing their last game in the tournament, struggled to catch on with UST’s blazing start as they trailed by as many as 20-7 at the end of first quarter.

But the Tigers, hoping to bolster their bid for a quarterfinals slot but dropped to 3-3 in Group A, only managed to score seven points in the fourth quarter then botched a chance to snatch the game back in the last possesion.

Jeric Teng misfired on a left corner triple, then Jeric Fortuna failed to hold on to the defensive rebound as the time expired.

Karim Abdul, who led UST with 18 points and 18 boards, even split an all-important trip to the line with 36.3 seconds in the game.

The Tigers sorely outrebounded the Chiefs, 56-40, but numerous erratic plays in the last five minutes hampered UST.

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons nailed a quarterfinals berth in Group B following a 93-75 rout of the winless College of St. Benilde Blazers in the curtain raiser.

Four Maroons finished in double figures with Miggy Maniego showing the way with 13 points.

The Maroons held on to an advantage as big as 23 points also on a basket by Maniego.

UP, usually the cellar dwellers in the UAAP but is toting a 5-2 card, spoiled Carlo Lastimosa’s 21-point explosion.

“I’m happy that the entire benched contributed in this victory,” said the Maroons mentor Ricky Dandan.

The scores:
First Game
UP 93—Maniego 13, Montecastro 12, Silungan 11, Gamboa 11, Gomez 9, Manuel 7, Evangelista 6, Juruena 5, Romero 4, Mbah 4, Pascual 4, Weirzba 3, Fortu 3, Wong 1, Gingerich 0, Ball 0.
ST. BENILDE 75—Lastimosa C. 21, Taha 10, Carlos 9, Maconocido 6, Tan 5, Romero 4, Fikowski 4, Sinco 4, Altamirano 3, Dela Paz 2, Deles 2, Musngi 2, Garcia 2, Grey 1, McCoy 0, Lastimosa R. 0
Quarters: 24-16, 45-29, 69-49, 93-75
Second Game
ARELLANO 64—Celada 30, Zulueta 12, Casino 10, Acidre 5, Caperal 3, Lapuz 2, Okpe 2, Palma 0, Pagayunan 0, Salcedo 0, Doligon 0, Estoce 0.
UST 63—Abdul 18, Ferrer 13, Fortuna 11, Teng 8, Afuang 5, Bautista 3, De Guzman 3, Camus 2, Tan 0, Lo 0, Sheriff 0.
Quarters: 7-20, 27-37, 49-56, 64-63