Lady Pirates rule NC-South

LYCEUM Philippines University-Batangas turned back a gritty San Beda College Alabang, 69-56, to complete a two-game sweep of the women’s basketball finals for the 14th NCAA South title over the weekend at Lima Gym in Batangas City.

The Lady Pirates closed the game with a 10-0 run to take the fight out of the Red Lionesses as they followed up their tough 62-60 victory in Game 1.

Ferlyn Dalida topscored with 19 points while Jelly Bacarisa and rookie Angelica de Austria contributed 10 points each in helping Lyceum to its fourth title in five years.

Flexing its defensive muscle, Lyceum actually held San Beda scoreless in the last five minutes, after the Lady Pirates saw that margin dwindle to 59-56 after an 8-0 run anchored by Jessa Mae Runes and Irene Jardiniano.

Still, the Red Lionesses improved from their third-place finish last year.

“With the majority of our veterans gone due to graduation, our goal was to place second so winning this championship was a surprise,” said LPU-B sports director and coach Jayvee Gayoso of his crew of mostly neophytes.

In boys basketball, Perpetual Help-Calamba rallied past De La Salle-Lipa, 60-57, to force a winner-take-all duel.

Perpetual also moved on the cusp of retaining its men’s volleyball crown with a 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 25-12 walloping of Lyceum in Game 1 of their series. Cedelf P. Tupas