La Salle, CEU beat foes; face-off for PCCL Sweet 16 berth
La Salle and Centro Escolar University beat separate rivals to arrange a showdown for a berth in the 2011 PCCL National Championship Sweet 16 Wednesday at The Arena in San Juan City. The Green Archers defeated Mapua, 56-51, while the Scorpions, the MNCAA champion, coasted to a 68-50 win over three-time UCLAA champion St. Francis of Assisi College in the PCCL Metro Manila qualifiers. De La Salle and CEU battle for a spot in the Sweet 16 on Thursday also at The Arena. National University and NAASCU champion University of Manila will also fight for a Sweet 16 berth also on Thursday. Luigi Dela Paz led the Green Archers with 11 points and nailed a three-pointer that broke a 48-all deadlock with six minutes and 50 seconds left in the game. The Cardinals only scored one field goal after that deadlock. Gee Abanilla, the newly-installed head coach of La Salle, sat behind the bench as assistant coach Tyrone Bautista took the coaching duties in the game. Joshua Webb and Almond Vosotros scored 10 each for the Green Archers. Yousef Taha had a game-high 18 points for Mapua, which played without veteran point guard Allan Mangahas and NCAA Season 87 Rookie of the Year Josan Nimes. — JVP, GMA News