La Salle survives Konateh’s monster game

UAAP La Salle held off a heroic performance from Mo Konateh as San Beda and Jose Rizal University stayed unbeaten in the Independence Day edition of the 19th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup on Friday in San Juan.

Jacob Cortez and rookie Jason Cibull powered the Green Archers to their second straight win, edging Far Eastern University, 82-77, at the Playtime Filoil Centre.

Cortez led La Salle with 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Cibull chipped in 14 points as the Archers improved to 2-1.

“My teammates gave me a lot of trust and I have a lot of trust in myself,” said Cortez. “Today it wasn’t just me — my teammates were getting rebounds and making hustle plays. We really trust each other out there.”

Konateh carried FEU with a massive 29-point, 12-rebound performance, but it wasn’t enough as the Tamaraws dropped their third straight game to fall to 1-3.

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The **Red Lions** stayed perfect at 4-0 after surviving a tough battle against St. Benilde, 95-89. Aldous Torculas exploded for 28 points, including two clutch triples in the final minute, while Zedjay Etulle and RC Calimag added 14 and 12 points respectively.

**JRU Heavy Bombers** also remained unbeaten at 4-0, mounting a strong fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Arellano, 73-67. Jalen Garcia led the way with 21 points, while Allan Laurenaria posted 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Arellano fell to 0-5.

**Letran** extended its winning streak to six games, outlasting Lyceum of the Philippines University in a thriller, 86-83. Jimboy Estrada hit a crucial triple, and Aaron Buensalida sealed the win with two clutch free throws. The Knights improved to 6-1, while LPU dropped to 2-5.