Kobe Paras lifts Phantoms to 2nd round vs top seed Knights

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino sensation Kobe Paras and Brazilian sweet-shooting forward Lucas Siewert came up big down the stretch as the LA Cathedral Phantoms survived Redondo Union Sea Hawks, 61-56, at the start of the CIF Open Division playoffs on Thursday (Friday Manila time) in Southern California. 

Paras scored 13 points including three clutch baskets while Siewert hit a big triple that were enough to fend off the Sea Hawks' fourth quarter rally. 

Milan Acquaah sparked a second quarter charge with seven points as the Phantoms tried to break away taking an eight-point lead. But the eight seeded Sea Hawks refused to just roll over and die.

A back-to-back triple by Leland Green and Morgan Means cut the Phantoms' lead down to just four, 40-36, near the end of the third. Paras hit a triple of his own at the end of the quarter to keep the Sea Hawks at bay as the Phantoms took a 46-41 lead into the final period. 

Siewert drilled in a three-pointer midway through the fourth period to extend the Phantoms' lead to eight, 49-41. The Sea Hawks, however, made one last attempt at a comeback as they came came to within three, 51-48, with 3:06 left.

Kobe, the 17-year old son of PBA's only Rookie-MVP Benjie Paras, finally took matters into his own hands and wielded the dagger with three consecutive baskets that pushed the Phantoms lead back to nine, 57-48, with 1:04 left. 

The Phantoms will host top seed Bishop Montgomery in the second round after the Knights routed 16th seed J W North Athletics, 81-55. 

Bishop Montgomery hold the numbers against LA Cathedral this season.  Their two encounters this season both went down the wire with the Knights emerging the victors in both occasions.

Bishop Montgomery survived the Phantoms' rally in their first meeting to win by only four, 80-76. In that loss, Siewert had a 27-point effort while Paras scored all of his nine points in the second half in leading LA Cathedral's rally from 12 points down. 

In their second meeting at LA Cathedral, the Knights outscored the Phantoms with a -70 blast in the final 53 seconds to make it 2-0 over them. Paras nhad 18 in that second heartbreaking loss. 

Their second round meeting is scheduled on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) at the Phantoms home court in downtown Los Angeles.