By: Miguel Caramoan
With T-Mc Ongotan leading the charge, Arellano University closed in on an outright quarterfinals spot in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament, narrowly fending off the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA with a 70-69 victory on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Chiefs earned payback for their earlier 72-67 loss to the Altas in the first round.
Ongotan powered the team with a 22-point outing, adding four rebounds and two assists, while Abiera backed him up with 16 points, four boards, and one steal, helping seal Arellano’s crucial win.
“Naging consistent sila and na-unleash na namin si Abiera – sana tuloy tuloy na sila maglaro ng ganyan. And we have two games left doon sa group namin, nawa makuha uli namin para at least tatlo or apat na sunod sana,” said Ongotan.
Despite building a 16-point halftime lead, Perpetual started the third quarter with a 12-0 run, 10 points of which came from Patrick Sleat and Mark Gojo Cruz. Arellano, however, held just enough to maintain a 55-47 advantage heading into the fourth.
The Altas kept the game within reach through the midway mark of the final quarter, but consecutive baskets from Basti Valencia and Ongotan proved crucial, pushing the Chiefs’ lead back to double digits at 68-58 with 3:41 remaining.
Perpetual made one last push, sparking a 9-0 run capped by an LA Casinillo corner triple that cut the deficit to just one, 70-69, with 25 seconds left.
Tension rose as Valencia and Mav Vinoya missed four straight free throws, giving the Altas multiple opportunities to steal the game, but Perpetual came up empty with Abis’ missed inside attempt and Gojo Cruz’s errant three-pointer.
Back-to-back wins lifted Arellano to 5-6, solidifying their hold on third place in Group A and creating separation from LPU and San Sebastian. However, free-throw struggles remain a concern as they shot only 56.7% from the charity stripe.
The Chiefs look to notch their third consecutive victory in the second round of Group A action against the LPU Pirates on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
On the other hand, Perpetual’s struggles persisted.
The Altas remained winless in three second-round games in Group A, dropping to 8-4. Gojo Cruz and Abis were the main sources of scoring with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Sleat’s inefficiency was costly, scoring just eight points on 20% shooting.
“Kasi yun yung susi namin yung depensa na lang. Kulang man kami sa talent or height, doon na lang kami bumabawi. Sabi ko naman sa kanila na yung system natin, defensively and offensively, yun ang dapat gawin natin para at least mga tamang mangyayari kesa wala tayo sa alignment ng system natin,” said Manabat on the Chiefs’ two-way performance.
The reeling Perpetual squad aims to finish their elimination round on a high note against the LPU Pirates next week at the same venue.
The Scores:
Arellano 70 – Ongotan 22, Abiera 16, Valencia 8, Hernal 8, Camay 7, Vinoya 5, Buenaventura 4, Geronimo 0, Demetria 0, Borromeo 0, Libang 0, Langit 0, Acop 0, Cabotaje 0
Perpetual 69 – Gojo Cruz 14, Abis 13, Casinillo 10, Sleat 8, Orgo 8, Boral 8, Nunez 4, Pizzaro 2, Maglupay 2, Duremdes 0, Tulabut 0, Alcantara 0
Quarterscores: 28-20, 44-28, 55-47, 70-69
