La Salle raps Ateneo anew in ‘rematch’

MANILA, Philippines - La Salle’s alumni blew an 11-point lead but hung tough in the endgame to eke out a 111-108 win over their Ateneo rivals in yesterday’s Blue versus Green Dream Game 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Don Allado nailed a clutch jumper with 40.6 seconds left to give the La Sallians the cushion as they survived the furious rally of the Ateneans from an 76-87 deficit in the third. 

Mac Cardona rifled in 29 points to win MVP honors for the Green team, which stamped its class on its Blue counterpart for the second straight time. Last year, with Allado taking charge, the Green cagers scored a 117-104 conquest. 

Cardona starred in a 7-0 blast that gave the La Sallians a 106-102 lead with 2:42 left. But the Ateneans refused to concede and unloaded back-to-back baskets from Wesley Gonzales and Rabeh Al Husaini to knot the count.

Jerwin Gaco gave the Green men the lead but Noy Baclao countered with a basket of his own to put the game to another stalemate.

Then came Allado’s go-ahead jumper.

The Ateneans couldn’t buy a basket from there, leading to a trip to the freethrow line for Cardona. 

“Captain Hook” split his charities for a three-point lead and then Ateneo’s Chris Tiu tried to force an extension with a Hail Mary shot that proved futile, allowing the Green squad to post the W.