Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas achieved a significant victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University in the second round of the PGFlex-UCAL Season 8 Basketball Tournament on March 23 at the Paco Arena in Manila. This win came as a much-needed rebound after suffering a close defeat to Olivarez College the previous week.
The Dolphins were determined to redeem themselves following a narrow 71-68 loss to the reigning champions. Their key player, Kingsley Anaba, a 6-foot-9 Nigerian center, delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 26 points and grabbing 15 rebounds along with two assists. Additionally, guard Nifio John Opone contributed significantly with 18 points, including two three-pointers, while Angus Geronimo added 13 points to the scoreboard.
With this result, both PCU-D and Lyceum ended the tournament”s second elimination round with identical 6-5 records, but PCU-D secured the third seed due to their head-to-head victory earlier in the season, where they also edged out Lyceum 72-71.
In other tournament action, early semifinalists Centro Escolar University (9-1) and Olivarez College (8-2) are set to compete for the top seed on March 26, marking the end of the elimination rounds.
The Pirates came into this match riding high after halting CEU”s impressive nine-game winning streak with a 79-76 victory. However, they struggled to maintain their momentum against the Dolphins” excellent shooting and strong defensive tactics.
In additional matchups, Diliman College and Manila Central University also showcased their dominance, defeating the University of Batangas and Philippine Women”s University, respectively. The Blue Dragons triumphed over the UB Brahmans with a score of 95-76, setting up a quarterfinal clash with the Pirates after the Holy Week break. Meanwhile, the MCU Supremos secured a convincing 79-60 win over the PWU Patriots.
