Basti Valencia’s fourth-quarter takeover propelled Arellano University to an 81-77 victory over Jose Rizal University, pushing the Heavy Bombers to the brink of elimination in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Valencia was a force on the offensive end throughout the game, finishing with a career-high 25 points, including eight crucial points in the fourth quarter.
His dagger jumper sealed the Chiefs’ four-point victory.
With less than four minutes remaining on the game clock, Arellano found itself trailing by four points against the gritty Heavy Bombers.
Struggling to generate good offensive looks, Valencia took it upon himself to revitalize the Arellano offense.
He scored the next three buckets for the Chiefs, rising above his defenders with tough off-the-dribble jumpers, completing a personal 6-0 run that gave Arellano a 77-75 lead.
Holding tightly to their two-point advantage at 79-77 with just 31 seconds left, JL Capulong swatted away a JRU layup, regaining possession for Arellano.
Valencia then faced up in the post, nailing a contested jumper off the backboard to drive in the dagger, securing the victory for Arellano.
Chiefs head coach Chico Manabat praised Valencia’s performance against the Heavy Bombers, noting that his shot-making ability in the post and midrange stemmed from his high school days.
“Si Basti kasi, high school pa lang siya sa San Beda noon, four ang laro niya talaga, so minaximize namin. Willing naman din siya, and then surprisingly ayun, nag-connect si Basti,” Manabat shared.
“Talagang tinatrabaho ni Basti yan eh, sabi ko ito na yung perfect game mo para sa’yo today.”
Jeadan Ongotan also played a vital role in Arellano’s success, contributing 17 points – 10 of which came in the fourth quarter.
JL Capulong’s two-way impact was crucial as well, as he tallied 10 points and three blocks, including a game-saving rejection in the final minute. Ernest Geronimo added 10 points off the bench.
This victory avenged a narrow round-one loss against the Heavy Bombers, where Arellano fell 89-92.
With this win, Arellano has now won three of its last four games, improving to a 6-9 record and keeping its Final Four hopes alive.
The Chiefs look ahead to another Final Four contender, Emilio Aguinaldo College, on Saturday at 2:30 PM.
Joshua Guiab was a steady source of production for JRU, scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the loss. Shawn Argente added 15 points, while Mart Barrera contributed 14 off the bench.
The Heavy Bombers can no longer afford any more losses, falling to a 4-10 record. They will face Lyceum of the Philippines University on Friday at 12:00 PM.
The Scores:
Arellano 81 – Valencia 25, Ongotan 17, Geronimo 12, Capulong 10, Camay 9, Vinoya 2, Borromeo 2, Hernal 2, Miller 1, Libang 1, Abiera 0, Flores 0
Jose Rizal 77 – Guiab 20, Argente 15, Barrera 14, Raymundo 9, Bernardo 6, De Leon 5, Ramos 3, De Jesus 3, Sarmiento 2, Panapanaan 0, Pangilinan 0, Mosqueda 0, Ferrer 0
Quarterscores: 15-24, 41-40, 57-62, 81-77
