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Lions win in OT, grab share of NCAA lead

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From Manila Bulletin Online:

San Beda survives PCU scare

By JP ABCEDE

Defending champion San Beda is not just about Sam Ekwe, Ogie Menor and Pong Escobal.

Borgie Hermida proved that yesterday as the back-up guard helped power the Red Lions to a 72-63 win over the Philippine Christian University and to a share of the lead in the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

With starting guard Escobal nursing a flu, Hermida rose to the occasion, completing a three-point to break a 56-56 count with 2:55 remaining.

That play turned out to be the most critical as the Red Lions steadily pulled away until Menor sealed the win with two charities for a 71-61 lead, 27 ticks left.

With the win, the Red Lions tied Letran for the lead with similar 2-0 cards.

Earlier, Mapua streaked to its third straight win against one loss by beating University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 76-65.

"We struggled in the first quarter. We really started flat," remarked San Beda head coach Frankie Lim. "It was because of the long layoff. I was in denial, we got rusty with the ten-day break."

Hermida topscored for San Beda with 17 points on top of six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Bam Gamalinda hit 13 points, while Menor added 11 points.

"At the end of the day, a win is a win. I will take it," Lim said. "Ogie played well, Bambam played well and Borgie hit a big shot."

PCU fell further at the bottom with three straight losses.

The loss was another disappointment for PCU which led three-fourths of the way.

Lei Mar Navarro led Philppine Christian with 16 points and four assists. Liz Amparado had 12 points.

Ekwe and PCU’s Beau Belga canceled each other in a battle of giants with the Dolphin center making eight points and 13 rebounds and the Nigerian producing nine points and 11 rebounds.

MANILA, Philippines—San Beda College’s fearsome Red Lions ended the elimination round unscathed while the Red Cubs struggled to make the quarterfinals of the Nike Summer League tournament over the weekend at the Far Eastern University gym in Manila.

Pong Escobal scored 20 points, hauled down eight rebounds and issued nine assists to tow the Lions past the Lyceum Pirates, 94-82.

The win gave the back-to-back NCAA champion a 6-0 slate and a quarterfinal playdate with University of the East as Group B top seed. Lyceum of the Philippines ended the eliminations at 5-1 and will take on 2007 finalist FEU.

In junior play, the Red Cubs survived Jesus is Lord College Foundation in overtime, 80-74, to gain the last quarterfinal berth.

They next face the San Sebastian College Staglets, which beat them in the finals last year, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

In a pair of knockout matches for varsity quarterfinal seats, Mapua Institute of Technology beat Adamson University, 64-59, to earn a match against Ateneo de Manila University, while Feati University nipped National University, 70-68, to advance against defending champ De La Salle University.

San Beda had a hard time shaking off Lyceum and led by just three points, 82-79, late in the game.

JR Taganas’ two undergoal stabs gave the Lions an 86-79 cushion that halted the comeback of the Pirates, who trailed by as much as 17 points midway in the second period.

The Cubs outscored JILCF, 17-11, in extra time to spoil their foes’ league maiden season.

GAMES WEDNESDAY (The Arena, San Juan)
2 p.m.-FEU vs UE
4 p.m.-SBC vs SSC
6 p.m.-CSB vs Adamson

MANILA, Philippines—Unbeaten San Beda College stalled the quarterfinal bid of National University with a 79-71 victory Wednesday in the 2nd Filoil Flying V Pre-Season Invitational Cup at The Arena in San Juan City.

JR Tecson sank two triples in the final 40 seconds to seal the Red Lions' sixth straight win in Group B.

The NU Bulldogs, who led 69-68 on a Raymund Aguilar basket with 4:33 remaining, will play the University of the Philippines Maroons next week.

If they win, they will tie the Jose Rizal University Bombers at 3-4. The quotient system will then be used to determine who will join University of the East, Adamson University and Ateneo de Manila University in the Group A quarterfinals.

Ogie Menor and Pong Escobal finished with 18 and 13 points, respectively, to lead San Beda, the only unbeaten squad in the tournament.

Tecson finished with eight points.

Jessie Garcia poured in a game-high 27 markers for NU while Aguilar chipped in 17.

In the second game, Rico Maierhofer and JV Casio stepped up in overtime as De La Salle University outlasted Adamson, 68-63.

The La Salle Green Archers, who have earlier qualified to the Group B quarterfinals along with the Red Lions and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, moved up to second place at 5-1.

The Adamson Falcons dropped into a tie for second with the Ateneo Blue Eagles at 4-2 in Group A.

Maierhofer, who paced La Salle with 17, tossed in eight points in the extension, including a short jumper in the dying seconds for a 67-63 spread.

Earlier, Adamson's Jerick Cañada split his charities to move the Falcons within 63-65.

The Scores:

First Game

SAN BEDA 79 – Menor 18, Escobal 13, Ekwe 11, Gamalinda 9, Tecson 8, Lanete 7, Marcelo 6, Pascual 4, Taupa 2, Taganas 1.
NU 71 – Garcias 27, Aguilar 14, Ponferrada 7, Berry 7, Dela Cruz 6, Luy 4, Catamora 4, Jhanke 2.
Quarters:22-22, 42-36, 62-57, 79-71.

Second Game

LA SALLE 68 – Maierhofer 17, Casio 14, Barua 8, Walsham 6, Mangahas 5, Revilla 4, Villanueva 3, Ferdinand 2, Malabes 1.
ADAMSON 63 – Santos 13, Galinato 10, Alvarez 9, Margallo 6, Canada 5, Gorospe 4, Colina 3, Lozada 1.
Quarters: 19-20, 35-32, 45-46, 56-56, 68-63 (OT)

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Per Manila Bulletin

San Beda keeps win streak

Tecson, who only had eight points in the contest, scored two huge treys in the final 40 seconds to key San Beda’s escape against a surprisingly tough Bulldogs squad, and clinch its sixth straight win in the tournament backed by Total Metro Oil, Canopy Homes, Flying V Biodiesel Premium, Smart, Boysen, Bayo, Metathione, Padi’s Point, CDO, Reyes Barbecue, Burlington, Tanduay, Chowking, Ecology Marine Transport Specialist, Inc., Diamond Purified Drinking Water, official ball Nike and official after sportswear Happy Feet.

The Bulldogs, who were led by Jessie Garcias game-high 27 points, fell to 2-4 and need to win their last game in the eliminations to forge a tie with Jose Rizal University for the no. 4 spot.

The Bulldogs, who forced a 22-22 tie after the first quarter, played tough throughout and kept pace with the Lions and even threatened to within 45-49 midway on a trey from Jessie Garcias.

Raymund Aguilar had also 17 points for NU.

The Bulldogs, perhaps playing their best game in the tournament, even took the lead, 69-68, on a jumper from Aguilar, with 4:33 remaining.

Rico Maierhofer and JV Casio stepped up bigtime in overtime as De La Salle University outsteadied Adamson University, 68-63 in the second game.

Maierhofer, who led La Salle with 17, tossed in eight points in the extension, including a short jumper in the dying seconds for a 67-63 spread after Adamson’s Jerick Cañada split his charities on the other end to put the Falcons to within two, 63-65.

Casio had earlier scored two to make it a 65-62 count with 34.6 seconds to go, before Canada split his charities.

Maierhofer actually got La Salle’s offensive going starting the extension off a jumper for a 59-56 lead, after Malabes split his charities fo a 57-56 count.

Regulation ended at 56-all.

Casio added 14 for La Salle, while PJ Barua had eight. Allan Santos led Adamson with 13.

With the win, La Salle improved to 5-1, while Adamson dropped to 4-2 in a tie with Ateneo in Group A.