Greenies, Robins bag NCAA finals slots

DEFENDING champion La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) made quick work of Jose Rizal High School, 97-71, even as Mapua High School downed San Beda High School, 75-67, to set up a finals battle anew in Season 94 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) juniors basketball tournament on Monday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Behind Inand Fornilos and Joel Cagulangan, the Greenies pulled away in the second quarter en route to the rout that secured them a chance to mark back-toback championships for the first time in school history.

Fornilos sizzled with a double- double of 22 points and 11 rebounds while reigning Finals MVP Cagulangan flirted with a triple- double as he logged 19 markers, 12 assists and six boards.

RC Calimag chipped in 12 points even as Joshua David and Lennox Valenzuela added 11 markers apiece to help LSGH bounce back from a 78-81 loss in the Final Four opener.

Marwin Dionisio finished with a double- double of 22 points and 11 rebounds while John Amores and Thomas Vasquez had 17 and 16 markers, respectively, for the Light Bombers.

Meanwhile, Mapua banked on the career games of Paolo Hernandez and Jonnel Policarpio to prevail in the semifinal decider against San Beda.

Hernandez fired a career-high 27 points on top of 10 rebounds and Policarpio erupted for a career-best 25 markers to go with 13 boards, propelling the Red Robins to their third straight finals appearance.

Dan Arches contributed 14 points, including the dagger baskets that took the fight out of the stubborn San Beda, which won the semifinal series opener, 84-71.

Art Oliva topscored with 16 points while Joshua Lazaro tallied a double-double of 10 markers and 12 rebounds but those were not enough push the Red Cubs back to the championship series since 2016.

LSGH and Mapua are set to start their finals rematch before San Beda University and Lyceum of the Philippines University begin their own championship rivalry on November 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.