Filoil Preseason Cup: La Salle pounces on weary UST

Deschon Winston leads La Salle to latest win in return. –FILOIL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—La Salle took advantage of an exhausted University of Santo Tomas to stay undefeated in Group B of the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.

Green Archers head coach Derick Pumaren knew the Tigers were playing their third game in three days and that served as the fuel for the team’s 86-65 win on Tuesday.

“I told them to take advantage because this is their third straight game, at the same time they are down because they lost a very close game yesterday,” Pumaren said after his team improved to 4-0 and stayed atop the Group B standings.

“We wanted to jump on them right away early but that didn’t happen so we took the fight off of them late which gave us the win,” he added.

Unable to blow the game wide open early, La Salle uncorked a pivotal 11-3 run late in the fourth to push the lead to 20 points and take the fight out of UST, which also played in the PBA D-League quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The Tigers were still in the game in the third quarter, mounting a 15-6 rally to cut La Salle’s lead to single digits, 55-46.

But the fresher legs of the Green Archers, who also welcomed back Deschon Winston, had an answer to every comeback attempt.

Winston, who returned from a vacation in the United States, scattered 25 markers for La Salle while tallying three assists. Kevin Quiambao registered 12. 

Nic Cabanero’s 18 points were not enough to get the job done for UST, which slid to 1-3.

Sherwin Concepcion, who landed awkwardly at the beginning of the fourth, came back to the game to finish with 13.