(PCCL) Archers, Cardinals advance to Elite 8

source: gmanews.tv

The La Salle Green Archers pummeled the Letran Knights from start to finish en route to an easy 70-56 triumph in the 2010 Philippine Collegiate Champions League Sweet 16 at the San Juan Arena Monday.

Using their vaunted run, jump and switch full-court pressure defense, the Archers set the tone early, leading 10-0 and breaking the game wide open.

The Archers quickly built a staggering 21-point lead, 42-21, with over a minute left in the second period, their biggest of the contest.

Sam Marata led the Archers with his game-high 17 points, 14 in the first half, along with six boards, while rookie Jarelan Tampus added 10 markers.

‘’Yung game plan namin talaga is to stop their guards and we did a good job containing their guards. Yung big guys namin naglaro ng maganda compared to theirs,’’ said La Salle coach Dindo Pumaren.

With the win, the Archers advanced into the Elite 8 and will await the winner of the San Beda-University of the East round-of-16 tussle.

Kevin Alas paced Letran with a team-high 16 points and three rebounds. Jaypee Belencion had 12.

In the other Sweet-16 game, Mapua also barely broke out a sweat in routing undermanned National University, 74-61, in a highly physical game.

The Cardinals, consistent NCAA semifinalists, used a strong second quarter to turn the game into a rout. They banked on big men Mike Parala and Jason Pascual to blast the Bulldogs,18-9, in the second period.

The spurt gave the Cardinals a comfortable 36-24 lead at the half.

Mapua padded its lead to a whopping 24-point spread, 54-30, at the 3:58 mark of the third, to finally put away the Bulldogs.

‘’Maganda yung naging depensa namin, especially nu’ng second quarter nu’ng nakalayo kami. Nu’ng second half napagpatuloy lang namin,’’ said Mapua head coach Chito Victolero.

Mapua wil face the winner of the Ateneo-Lyceum game in the next phase of the knockout tourney.

Parala came up big and led the Cardinals with 22 points, 13 in the first half, along with six boards.

But Parala was ejected from the game together with Emmanuel Mbe in the last 58 minutes. Both centers threw punches after engaging in a physical game.

NU did not field in three of its graduating players — Kokoy Hermosisima, Melvin Baloran and Jerome Tungkul — while Glen Khobuntin missed the game with an injury.

Pascual added 13 points while Erwin Cornejo had 10 markers and seven boards.

Jeoffrey Javillionar paced the Bulldogs with 19 points and six rebounds. – KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV