#FilOil2019:La Salle dispatch Letran to complete semis cast on a final frame explosion

SAN JUAN -- The semifinal cast of the FilOil FlyingV Preseason Cup is complete after La Salle sent Letran packing with a 80-69 mauling to cap off the Monday quarterfinals at the FilOil FlyingV Centre.

After trailing in the first 20 minutes, the Green Archers shifted to high gear after the halftime break and made its way back into the last four in which they missed out last season.

Encho Serrano exploded from the bench as he led the four-time FilOil champions with 18 points, including eight in a row in the final frame to take down the Knights, with Lyceum awaiting them on Thursday.

Despite only hitting 20% from downtown as a team, Andrei Caracut hit half of his three-pointers to backstop Serrano with 15.

Letran led by as much as nine in the second quarter, 27-18 on a Fran Yu trey but La Salle cut it to just one heading into the break.

Afterwards, the Green Archers broke loose in the third, engineering an 8-0 run that broke the 45-all deadlock to nail a four-point lead before the payoff period.

Before Serrano's own run, La Salle began the frame with seven straight points that was capped off by a triple by Caracut to make it 61-50 with 8:45 to go, putting the Knights away for good.

The scores: 

La Salle 80 -- Serrano 18, Caracut 15, Baltazar 11, Melecio 9, Manuel 7, Capacio 4, Bonggay 4, Bates 2, Cagulangan 2, David 2, Bartlett 2, Lojera 2, Lim 2, Cu 0, Escandor 0

Letran 69 -- Mina 19,  Ambohot 13, Reyson 10, Ular 9, Muyang 6, Pambid 5, Yu 3, Olivario 2, Balagasay 2, Caralipio 0, Sangalang 0, Guarino 0

Quarter scores: 14-20, 36-37, 54-50, 80-69

(photo by FilOil FlyingV Sports)