Saints, Phoenix seal NAASCU title clash

St. Clare College-Caloocan and Our Lady of Fatima University disposed of their respective semifinal rivals in a pair of sudden deaths to arrange a showdown for the 16th NAASCU men’s basketball crown at the RTU gym in Mandaluyong yesterday.

The Saints trounced the Lyceum of Subic Bay side, 83-74, to advance to the finals for the second straight year while the OLFU Phoenix wore down the Philippine Christian U Dolphins in overtime, 91-81, in their side of the Final Four.

St. Clare and OLFU begin their best-of-three title series tomorrow at the Makati Coliseum.

Michael De Leon fired a game-high 27 points while Paeng Rebugio added 19 markers for the Caloocan Citybased St. Clare, which also leaned on Aries Dionisio, Mark Puspus and 6-5 Steve Fongue on the defensive end.

De Leon and Rebugio later shared the best player of the game honors.

Dionisio, Mark Puspus and Fongue alternated in shackling Lyceum’s 6-10 Cameroon recruit Pabrice Djilla, who struggled for just nine points after erupting for 35 markers in the Sharks’ 81-76 win over the Saints last Saturday to force a rubber match.

Carl Lumbao and Kevin Pelaez scored 20 points each for the Sharks.

The Phoenix, meanwhile, relied on Jerome Juanico, Miguel Cabrera, Erwin Bargola, Jovin Datu, Chris Essomba and Joseph Marquez to stop the Dolphins.

Juanico scored seven of his 20 points in overtime for the Phoenix.

Fatima appeared on the way to victory after taking an eight-point lead, 70-62, with less than a minute left.

But Yves Sazon waxed hot to trigger a swift 8-1 run and cut the lead to 70-71. After Miguel Cabrera nailed two free throws to make it 7370, Sazon hit a three-pointer to send the game into overtime.

Jon Von Tambeling finished with 22 points, Sazon added 20, Mike Ayonayon contributed 15 and Fidel Castro had 12 for the Dolphins.