Lions devour Blazers, keep Fr. Martin title

MANILA, Philippines – Defending champion San Beda Red Lions got big baskets from Ryusei Koga and Arthur de la Cruz as they swamped the College of St. Benilde-A Blazers, 64-36, to retain the title in the 9th Fr. Martin Cup Collegiate Open basketball tournament at the Trinity University of Asia gymnasium yesterday.

The Lions struck hard in the early goings, and their efforts helped them keep the crown for the second straight year at the end of their winner-take-all finals.

Koga tallied 18 points for the Red Lions while de la Cruz had 14.

Back-to-back baskets by De la Cruz in the dying seconds of the first half allowed the Mendiola dribblers to take charge with a 26-14 halftime advantage.

Koga’s triple with Francis Abarcar in the last 4:33 of the third period gave the Red Lions a chance to widen their advantage, 36-18.

 The Blazers, playing without injured wingman Paolo Taha, then fell further behind, 44-25, off Olaide Adeogun’s steal and drive in the last 1:46 of the third.

 â€œGigil sila nung umpisa. They wanted to win it right away. But they finally settled down with their shots in the third, that’s the time they were getting their shots in. Then, we  knew were going to get it in the fourth,” said Red Lions assistant coach JB Sison, who was allowed by head coach Boyet Fernandez to call the shots.

 The 6’8 Adeogun, who made 12 points when the Red Lions won over the Arellano University Chiefs, 75-65, in the semifinals, scored only four points as he focused his energies in helping control the boards and limiting the Blazers to just eight points in the last period.

 He was thrown out of the game with four others in the last 32.4 seconds for his involvement in a scuffle with Blazers big man Robert Bartolo, who was scrambling for possession with Abarcar when the incident happened.

 Koga, de la Cruz and Rome de la Rosa starred in a 12-0 blast in the start of the fourth, allowing the Red Lions to move further ahead, 56-30, and after taking a 16-pont edge, 44-28, at the end of the third.

 The scores:

 San Beda 64 – Koga 18, de la Cruz 14, de la Rosa 7, Amer 6, Ludovice 6, Mendoza 4, Adeogun 4, Pascual 2, Abaracar 2, Bonsubre 1.

 CSB-A 36 – Gray 10, Bartolo 9, Sinco 8, Romero 7, Carlos 2.

 Quarters: 9-7, 26-14, 44-28, 64-36.