Unbeaten Lions, Archers forge Filoil Cup final duel

MANILA, Philippines -  San Beda shackled Jose Rizal U top gun Teytey Teodoro and leaned on Robert Bolick’s wondrous shooting to fashion out an 80-64 victory yesterday and barge into the finals of the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup in San Juan yesterday.

Bolick sizzled with a game-high 22 points while helping limit Teodoro to just nine markers as the Lions kept their unblemished run to the championship of the event which they ruled in 2015.

In the other semis matchup, Santi Santillan completed a three-point play in the last 10 seconds as La Salle survived Lyceum of the Philippines University, 100-99, to seal a title showdown with red-hot San Beda.

The Archers blew a 12-point lead at the onset of the fourth but fought back from two down in the closing seconds to foil the Pirates and forge a dream duel between the UAAP champions and the NCAA titlists.

Reymac Caduyac scored with 35.7 seconds left in the game to shove the Pirates to a 99-97 lead. But Santillan stepped up and came through in the clutch with a foul to boot from Jasper Ayaay then the Archers watched Caduyac turn the ball over in the last possession to escape with the win.

“The goal is to limit Teodoro and we took it as a challenge to defend him,” said Bolick.

It was another clutch effort by the former La Salle Archer, who unloaded 17 points, including 13 in the second half, in the Lions’ 65-56 romp over the UP Maroons in the quarterfinals last Wednesday.

“He (Bolick) showed by example how to be the leader of this team and I give credit to him for making key plays on both ends of the floor,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez.

The victory thus stretched San Beda’s win run to 10, moving the Lions a victory away from posting a sweep in the pre-season league featuring the country’s top collegiate teams.

Teodoro came into the match riding high on a 23-point feat in JRU’s 67-56 triumph over Adamson in the quarters.

But Bolick and the Lions clamped down on him as San Beda bucked a shaky start, 12-17, to wrest control at the turn, 33-29. They held sway after three quarters, 56-47, before pouring it all out to complete the 16-point romp.