Pirates stun Cards in FilOil Flying V tilt

MANILA, Philippines – Lyceum of the Phl U pulled the rug from under reigning NCAA MVP Allwell Oraeme and Mapua, scoring a 91-82 victory yesterday to gain an early share of the lead in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan City.

Wilson Baltazar hit two triples and went on to fire 17 points while Mer Ayaay and Jebb Bulawan chipped in 15 and 13 markers, respectively, to lead the Pirates to the surprise victory.

The game also marked the return of veteran guard Dexter Zamora, who poured in 10 points in 22 minutes.

“He’s one of the team leaders of this team and we’re happy to see him back,” said LPU coach Topex Robinson, referring to Zamora, who missed the action last year due to an ACL injury.

Robinson also made mention of banger Joseph Gabayni, who came off the bench and contributed eight points and a team-best 11 rebounds.

It was a stinging loss for the Cardinals, who came into the match as heavy favorites following an NCAA Final Four stint last year with the bullstrong Oraeme winning the MVP honors.

Far Eastern U, the UAAP titlist, also opened its campaign with a 77-64 victory over San Sebastian while Arellano U downed Emilio Aguinaldo College, 79-72, to seize a share of the early lead in the country’s premier pre-season league.

Skipper Jio Jalalon led the way for the Chiefs with 18 points while Zach Nicholls added 10 points, including three from behind the arc.

AU mentor Jerry Codinera, however, was far from being satisfied.

“Individually, we’re stronger than last year. But as a team, we’re not and we have a long way to go,” he said.