Emilio Aguinaldo College clinched a crucial victory in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament, pulling away from Arellano University 69-59 on Saturday afternoon at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
In their first-round encounter, the Generals narrowly escaped with an 87-80 overtime win against the Chiefs, setting the stage for another intense showdown.
EAC faced a resilient Chiefs squad, who countered every run the Generals attempted.
However, the Generals finally broke through in the fourth quarter, launching a decisive 9-0 run to establish an 11-point lead, 61-50, capped by a Kyle Jacob layup at the 5:35 mark.
Although Arellano trimmed the deficit to seven, King Gurtiza delivered a clutch three-pointer that rattled above the rim before dropping through, effectively sealing the game and securing the Generals’ 69-59 victory.
The dynamic duo of Harvey Pagsanjan and King Gurtiza led the way for EAC.
Pagsanjan posted an impressive stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.
Gurtiza added 13 points, nine boards, and five assists. Gelo Loristo also contributed a double-double, recording 10 points and 10 rebounds.
This win boosted EAC’s record to 8-8, tying them with Lyceum of the Philippines University for fourth place in the standings.
The two playoff contenders are set to clash on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., with the winner gaining the upper hand in the Final Four race.
Generals head coach Jerson Cabiltes emphasized the stakes of the upcoming match, viewing it as a must-win: “It’s a do-or-die game, so definitely if ever we’re gonna enter the final four, we want to do it on our own. We cannot rely on others.
“Both of us have two games left—they’re gonna play us, then CSB; we’re gonna play them and JRU next. We want to do it on our own, so we need to win this coming Tuesday. After this, we start practicing tomorrow,” Cabiltes declared.
For Arellano, Jeadan Ongotan came close to a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Basti Valencia contributed 13 points despite struggling with his shot, hitting only 20.8% from the field.
Greg Borromeo chipped in with 11 points and seven boards off the bench.
With this loss, the Chiefs’ hopes for a Final Four spot ended, as they fell to a 6-10 record, placing them seventh in the standings.
However, they still have a chance to affect the playoff picture when they face Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.
The Scores:
Emilio Aguinaldo 69 – Pagsanjan 17, Gurtiza 13, Loristo 10, Jacob 9, Oftana 5, Ochavo 4, Lucero 4, Quinal 3, Bagay 2, Luciano 2, Umpad 0, Doromal 0, Bacud 0
Arellano 59 – Ongotan 14, Valencia 13, Borromeo 11, Hernal 6, Geronimo 5, Capulong 5, Vinoya 5, Camay 0, Abiera 0, Acop 0, Libang 0, Miller 0
Quarterscores: 21-18, 34-33, 52-50, 69-59
