Pirates, Lions thwart rivals, dispute PCCL crown

Lyceum of the Philippines University broke away from a tight first half duel with a breakaway run in the third period as it trampled San Sebastian, 82-69, yesterday to barge into the finals of the 2018 Philippine Collegiate Champions League at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Jaycee Marcelino came away with a game-high 24 points, the bulk of which he poured in the pivotal third where the Pirates outscored the Stags, 26-17, to pad their five-point lead into a 14-point bulge, 61-47, heading to the fourth.

Later in the day, reigning NCAA titlist San Beda went to Javee Mocon and Donald Tankoua in the fourth quarter to edge UAAP champion Ateneo, 57-52, to forge another title clash with league rival LPU.

Mocon and Tankoua combined for all of the Lions’ 20 fourth quarter points and finished with 21 and 15 points, respectively.

The Pirates and the Lions dispute the crown on Thursday.

“We just played solid team basketball and we’re happy to make the finals,” said LPU coach Topex Robinson, whose wards are also out to atone for their failed title bid in the NCAA where they swept the double-round elims only to be swept by the Lions in the finals.

San Sebastian kept the game close in the first half, 30-35, but Marcelino stepped up at the resumption and hit a number of baskets to break the game wide open.