The De La Salle Green Archers might be feeling like the Cleveland Cavaliers as Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila escaped with a win, 74-73, on May 22 in the Nike Summer League at the Far Eastern University Gym.
Joseph Abaya uncorked the game-winner with 17 seconds to go as James Mangahas’ foray at the other end missed its mark.
Peejay Barua led De La Salle with 23 points and five rebounds. James Mangahas hit 12 and Bader Malabes pumped 11 markers and four boards.
Abaya topscored for the Pirates with 17 points. Jerard Ong and Rich Guevarra combined for 27 markers as Chris Aqualiful had a double-double with 11 and ten rebounds.
This is the Archers’ first defeat after winning three straight to begin the tournament. They would close out the eliminations on May 25 against undefeated FEU.
A victory by the Archers would tie them with the Tamaraws and give them an automatic slot in the knockout playoffs.
If Far Eastern wins, coupled with a Lyceum-Manila conquest against Universidad de Manila also on Monday, it would create a complicated three-way tie among DLSU, LPU-M, and Mapua Institute of Technology.
Either way, the green and white squad would go through another knockout bout as the format calls for a winner-take-all match to break ties. In case of triple ties for the second seed, the two teams with the highest quotient do battle while the third team gets eliminated.
To review the three teams’ head-to-head matchups, the Cardinals won against LPU-M, 61-51, on April 29 and the Archers were victorious against Mapua, 72-53, just two days ago.
Catching up on backlog generated by their Chicago training camp, the Archers played its third game in five days. They are supposed to face University of the East on Saturday in the FilOil-Flying V Preseason Manny V. Pangilinan Cup but the game was postponed since the core of the Red Warriors will play for Cobra Energy against Oracle Residences in the PBL PG Flex Unity Cup.
BOX SCORES:
LYCEUM 74 — Abaya 17, Ong 14, Guevarra 13, Aqualiful 11, Igtiben 10, Rimando 4, Difuntorum 3, Cayabyab 2, Doligon 0, Lacap 0, Anactia 0.
DLSU 73 — Barua 23, Mangahas 12, Malabes 11, Webb 8, Banal 5, Villanueva 4, Marata 3, Tolentino 3, Bringas 2, Bagatsing 2, Revilla 0, Andrada 0, Reyes 0, Mendoza 0, Co 0, Manguera 0.
QUARTER SCORING: 13-21, 33-40, 56-61, 74-73