#FilOil2019: CEU punch last playoff ticket after mauling Arellano

SAN JUAN -- Centro Escolar's road to recovery got a huge shot in the arm after they virtually got the last seat in the playoffs of the FilOil FlyingV Preseason Cup, taking down Arellano in a wire-to-wire 75-57 rout to open the five game billing Monday at the FilOil FlyingV Centre.

Barely two weeks since the Scorpions were written off owing to the massive allegations of game-fixing, Derrick Pumaren willed his remaning players to a dominating win, thanks to their shutdown defense that limited the Chiefs to just sixteen points in the first half.

CEU is the beneficiary of UP's departure from the tournament, as their win got them the fourth and final seat from Group A as the wound up at 3-4.

With the result, it also eliminated UST from contention, even if the Tigers won their last two games to finish at the same record as the Scorpions got the tiebreaker owing to their 75-73 win last May 12.

Rich Guinitaran was just one rebound shy of a double-double to lead all scorers with 19, as Malick Diouf backstop him with 14, and Dave Bernabe had a 10-point, 10-rebound effort ffor CEU.

Diouf showed blocking made easy, as his five swats outnumbered the entire Arellano output.

Archie Concepcion had 13 for the incoming NCAA hosts who wrapped up their campaign at 1-6.

The scores

CEU 75 -- Guinitaran 19, Diouf 14 , Bernabe 10, Santos 9, Caballero 7, Sunga 6, Diaz 4, Abastillas 4, Pamaran 2

Arellano 57 -- Concepcion 13, Espiritu 10, Sablan 10, Gayosa 8, Bayla 8, Santos 6, Sera Josef 2, Loyola 0, Segura 0, Valin 0, Sacramento 0, Sunga 0, Cruz 0

Quarter scores: 20-8, 39-16, 53-37, 75-57

(photo by FilOil FlyingV Sports)