Cobras defuse Bombers for first Filoil win

MANILA, Philippines – Southwestern University made a triumphant return to the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup with a 72-68 win over Jose Rizal University.

After their maiden stint in Filoil last summer where they lost their first five matches before winning their last three assignments, the Cobras looked vastly improved in all aspects in taking down the erstwhile undefeated Heavy Bombers.

Anchored on the inside power plays of 6’7” forward-centers Landry Sanjo and Justin Aboude and the outside shooting of Fil-Am Jasper Parker and former FEU Baby Tamaraw Antonio Pardo, the Cobras led from the start of the match and never stepped off the gas pedal. SWU posted a high 20-point lead following a fastbreak layup by Sanjo off a long inbound by Mark Tallo at the 8:40 mark of the fourth period.

Just when it looked like the game would end in a blowout, JRU dropped a 23-8 behind the hot shooting of Philip Paniamogan and Jaycee Asuncion to come within five, 71-66, with 22 seconds to play. JRU’s Razak Abdulwahab added two more free throws against the solitary free throw by Adam Mohammed for SWU as time ran out on the Heavy Bombers who absorbed their first loss in three outings.

“It was a statement game for us,” said an elated SWU coach Yayoy Alcoseba who missed last summer’s tournament as he was campaigning for public office in Cebu. “Last week, none of the Cebu teams won a game against the Manila teams. We wanted to uphold Cebuano pride aside from our school’s. And we also want to win this tournament.”

“This game was unfinished business for us,” added Tallo, who was referring to the fight-marred finals of the Mayor Lani Peña Cup in Minglanilla, Cebu where the Heavy Bombers were ahead by three in the third period when the Cobras’ Daryl Goloran punched JRU’s King Benemerito. JRU opted not to return to the court handing the trophy to SWU.

The Cobras looked to have learned from their first Filoil stint by coming in not only looking fit and conditioned but also ripped. “Those are the benefits of a better weight training program,” admitted assistant coach Mike Reyes.

The Cobras frenetic man-to-man defense left JRU struggling to make shots in the first half as the Cebu-based raced to 18 fast-break points to the five of JRU.

In the second half, SWU whipped the ball around to open teammates en route to their 20-point lead.

Sanjo, the Cobras’ Cameroonian reinforcement, tallied a double double with a game high 21 points to go with 13 rebounds. Orange County, California recruit Jasper Parker added 12 with two triples.

JRU was led by Philip Paniamogan’s 18 points while Asuncion and dela Paz added 14 and 13 markers respectively.

The scores:

SWU 72 – Sanjo 21, Parker 12, Tallo 9, Pardo 9, Goloran 8, Mohammed 7, Aboude 4, Bregondo 2, Diapera 0.

JRU 68 – Paniamogan 18, Asuncion 14, Dela Paz 13, Mabulac 9, Abdulwahab 5, Marticio 3, Lasquety 2, Balagtas 2, Salaveria 2, Teodoro 0, Benemerito 0, Benavides 0, Manuel 0, Caballero 0.