Red Lions Arrange Finals Date With Blue Eagles

Photo credits: Jan Dizon

Ola Adeogun powered his way inside the paint in the crucial moments of the game to help San Beda advance into the finals of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Preseason Premier Cup after an 82-78 win over Adamson at The Arena in San Juan City Friday.

The Nigerian center scored all of San Beda’s points in an 8-0 spurt to finish with 15 markers as the Red Lions returned to the finals after a failed attempt to rule the preseason tournament in 2008, won by University of the East.

Adeogun scored on back-to-back putbacks, first getting his own miss and then grabbed a Rome Dela Rosa failed jumper for a 75-72 count with one minute and 20 seconds left in the game.

He made Adamson pay again with another post move before making two free throws with 34.1 seconds left in the game to give San Beda a 79-72 edge.

Adeogun’s inside presence more than made up for the injured Sudan Daniel’s absence as he also grabbed 12 rebounds. Garvo Lanete added 15 points while Mar Villahermosa tallied 11 markers, six assists and two steals.

The Red Lions snapped the Falcons’ nine-game winning run with the win.

San Beda held Adamson to a single field goal in the last two minutes of the contest, a three-pointer by Allen Etrone with 2.4 seconds left.

A Lester Alvarez three-pointer gave the Falcons a 71-67 lead with 4:09 left in the clock.

Lanete’s two free throws and a Villahermosa lay-up knotted the count at 71-all.

Jan Colina split his free throws in the 2:11 mark of the game and that was the last time the Falcons tasted the lead.

Alvarez had a game-high 20 points while big men Coline and Eric Camson scored a combined 30 markers and grabbed 16 rebounds. Alex Nuyles tallied 12 points.