Centro Escolar University held off Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas, 72-69, in the Universities and Colleges Athletic League-PG Flex Linoleum Season 6 on Monday at the Paco Arena in Manila, despite being scoreless in the last four minutes.
The Pirates of Batangas appeared poised to force overtime after clawing their way back from a substantial 14-point deficit at the halfway mark of the payoff period. However, they failed to score in two crucial instances, including a desperate 3-point attempt by Tristan Gad in the dying seconds.
The thrilling escape allowed the Scorpions to conclude the first phase of eliminations with a 6-2 record, securing themselves a spot in the second phase. The top four finishers will play another round, with the first two placers earning bonuses in the knockout quarterfinal round.
Meanwhile, Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas clinched the No. 1 spot with an exciting 84-81 win over University of Batangas, finishing with a 7-1 record.
Pursuing back-to-back titles, the Scorpions initially struggled, trailing the Pirates by 3, 39-36, at halftime despite outstanding performances from the 5-foot-8 dynamo Daniel Marcelo and Franz Diaz.
The dynamic duo intensified their attack in the third quarter, with Marcelo contributing jaw-dropping dunks that highlighted their offensive spurts. They outscored the Pirates 22-14, establishing a 58-53 lead going into the final quarter.
Although CEU extended its lead to 72-58 on Diaz’s basket with 5:28 remaining, they suddenly went cold offensively, allowing Lyceum to stage a comeback and make the game interesting to the delight of the crowd.
Marcelo led all scorers with 26 points, in addition to logging one assist and one rebound, while Diaz had a solid all-around performance of 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Alpha Bah produced another double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Pirates, who fell to 3-3, tying Diliman College for 5th to 6th places.
The teams ranked fifth to ninth will also play another round, with the last-place finisher to be eliminated first.
