Photo from collegiatechampionsleague.net
MANILA, Philippines—Southwestern University scored over University of Visayas anew, 82-78, to clinch the Southern Islands title and reach the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) final four Thursday.
The SWU Cobras, who edged the UV Green Lancers in five games to be crowned the Cesafi champions recently, battled in a shooutout in the fourth quarter but nailed the needed buckets in the end game.
The Cobras’ fellow champions, UAAP’s Ateneo and NCAA’s San Beda in the final four as they await the victor of the grueling Luzon-Metro Manila bracket next week.
SWU, though, nearly got stopped on its tracks when UV surged to a 70-63 lead, after being down by as much as 18 in the first half.
But the Cobras showcased the resiliency of a champion squad, wiping away that lead in a snap and knotting the game at 70 on a triple by Joseph Nalos with 3:49 to go.
Nalos, who churned out 19 points for the Cobras, would come up big for SWU in the final minute—knocking down two crucial charities that put them ahead for the best.
Cameroonian reinforcement Benoit Mbala, who also helped SWU down the stretch, led all scorers with 21 points while Monbert Arong had 18 points.
Ahead by 78-75 with 1:39 to go on a four-point play by Phil Mercader, the Green Lancers failed to complete their stunning comeback after costly errors down the stretch.
UV had a tough break when Cesafi rookie-MVP Wowie Escosio got sent out with still under two minutes to go for a delay of the game infraction.