There will be no winless team in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament, as Arellano University finally secured its first victory by stunning San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 87-73, on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
With this win, the Chiefs not only avoided becoming the first team to go winless in the Final Four era of the Grand Old League’s seniors basketball tournament – they also snapped a painful 12-game losing streak.
Last season, under head coach Chico Manabat, Arellano managed a 2-16 record.
The Chiefs started strong, thanks to Lorenz Capulong and Troy Valencia, who combined for 16 of Arellano’s 32 points in an explosive opening quarter.
From that point on, it was all Arellano, as it maintained control of the game. The Chiefs built a lead that stretched to as much as 17 points late in the contest.
The sight of students from their high school unit cheering in the stands added to the celebratory atmosphere as the long skid finally came to an end.
Jeadan Ongatan led the charge for Arellano with 21 points, while Capulong posted an impressive double-double, contributing 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Cyril Hernal also made his presence felt with 11 points and seven boards, while Valencia added 10 points and eight rebounds to cap off a well-rounded team effort.
Riding the momentum of this breakthrough, Arellano will look to build on this performance when they face Jose Rizal University on Wednesday.
On the other side, Ameer Aguilar paced San Sebastian with 14 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent their third consecutive loss, dropping them to 2-3 in the standings.
Harold Ricio and Rafael Are each chipped in 11 points but struggled from the field, shooting a combined 8-of-22.
San Sebastian will have little time to dwell on the loss, as they will be back in action on Tuesday, facing the University of Perpetual Help DALTA.
The Scores:
Arellano 87 – Ongotan 21, Capulong 12, Hernal 11, Valencia 10, Vinoya 9, Camay 9, Geronimo 7, Borromeo 4, De Leon 2, Estacio 2, Miller 0, Rosalin 0, Abiera 0, Libang 0
San Sebastian 73 – Aguilar 14, Ricio 11, Are 11, Pascual 8, Escobido 7, L. Gabat 7, Velasco 5, Suico 4, R. Gabat 4, Felebrico 2, Barroga 0, Lintol 0, Ramilo 0, Maliwat 0
Quarterscores: 32-20, 51-43, 74-60, 87-73
