PCCL Sweet 16 games Saturday

Games Saturday (The Arena, San Juan)

2 p.m. – NU vs Univ. of Northern Philippines

4 p.m. – La Salle vs Univ. of Batangas

MANILA, Philippines — UAAP teams La Salle and National University battle separate provincial teams Saturday as the Sweet 16 of the 2011 PCCL National Collegiate Championship kicks off at The Arena in San Juan.

The new-look Green Archers take on South Luzon-Bicol region champion University of Batangas at 4 p.m. right after the Bulldogs meet the North-Central Luzon winner University of Northern Philippines.

The winner of the NU-UNP match will face Jose Rizal University while the triumphant team in the La Salle-UB tussle will meet University of Santo Tomas. Both matches are slated on Monday.

La Salle and NU made this stage through the Metro Manila qualifiers with the former beating Mapua and Centro Escolar University and the latter dispatching Lyceum and University of Manila.

Archers’ new coach Gee Abanilla won't be coaching in the sidelines as he is still trying to observe the team he started handling three week ago. Abanilla will be at the back of the bench with assistant Tyrone Bautista to call the shots.

For the Bulldogs, star player and UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. will not play as he is currently in Jakarta, Indonesia for the Sinag Pilipinas team competing in the Southeast Asian Games.

University of Northern Philippines, a first-timer in this event from Vigan, Ilocos Sur, ruled its local league before downing University of Pangasinan, 95-77, in the North-Central Luzon final a few weeks back.

University of Batangas won the North Batangas Open League cage crown then defeated Naga City champion Ateneo de Naga, 81-74, in the finals of the South Luzon-Bicol tourney.