DLSU Lady Archers win inaugural PCL Championship

MANILA, Philippines – It all came down to a renewed UAAP rivalry for the PCL Championship, as the undefeated De La Salle University Lady Archers faced off against the fourth-seeded University of the Philippines Lady Maroons on Sunday, August 7.

The Lady Archers shot out of tipoff on a 12-2 run with 3-pointers and and-one baskets. The Lady Maroons were unable to find a rhythm early on, falling in a 20-8 hole after the first quarter. 

Fastbreaks and ball movement let UP cut the lead to 8 in the second quarter. However, DLSU stayed composed and held a 30-21 lead at halftime. 

The second half opened with a trade of scoring runs. The Lady Maroons had an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 3, 32-29. The Lady Archers answered with a 7-0 run to regain a 10-point advantage, 39-29, which they kept until the end of the third. 

DLSU broke away at the fourth with relentless three-pointers and points off turnovers to put the game out of reach.

PCL’s regular season Most Valuable Player Camille Claro showed how valuable she is indeed to her team, tallying 16 points, 8 assists and 4 steals – enough to earn her the Finals MVP award as well. 

Fellow star player Khate Castillo was awarded the Role Player of the Finals after having a game-high 17-point performance. Bennette Revillosa was named the Defensive Player of the Finals by chipping in 8 points, 10 boards, two blocks and two steals. On the other end, UP’s standout player Maan Wong had a double-double of 14 points and 13 boards in a losing effort.

Battle for Third – CEU vs RTU-A

The league’s final day kicked off with a hotly-contested Battle for Third Place between the Centro Escolar University Lady Scorpions and RTU’s own Lady Thunders. CEU grinded out a 76-70 victory for the bronze medal finish. 

Although only battling for the consolation prize, both teams went into the game with a championship-level intensity, trading leads with nearly every possession. At halftime, the Lady Thunders led 39-36. Neither team had more than a two-possession lead up to that point. 

The halftime break did nothing to cool down both teams, as CEU’s head coach got a warning for resentment to a non-call and RTU’s head coach actually got a technical for the same issue. The heat was also evident on-court, as the lead trading continued for the entire third quarter. 

More lead-trading and raucous banter from both benches highlighted the final canto, as no team was still able to build a cushion for themselves. With two minutes remaining, the game was still at a 66-all knot, until an and-one CEU basket and a layup off a turnover created a four-point separation. Customary penalty free-throws off intentional fouls iced the Lady Scorpions’ victory. – Rappler.com