Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

Basketball

EAC stuns Perpetual with 24-point comeback, takes share of fifth in NCAA


By: Bjorn Del Deade

Emilio Aguinaldo College staged a massive second-half comeback to overcome a 24-point deficit and defeat University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, 78-70, kicking off the second round of the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Friday.

A sluggish first half saw the Generals fall behind by as much as 24 points.

But then EAC stormed back in the second half, outscoring Perpetual, 46-22.

Leading the charge was King Gurtiza, who tallied nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Generals improve to a 5-5 record.

Perpetual appeared to be in full control early on, as EAC struggled offensively.

The Generals went scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter before Gurtiza finally broke the drought with a fast-break three-point play, cutting the deficit to 31-19.

However, Christian Pagaran’s jumper extended the Altas’ lead to 44-20 with under three minutes left in the half.

Just as the game seemed to be slipping away, EAC found a spark. The Generals closed the first half with a 12-2 run, cutting Perpetual’s lead to 46-32 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Altas maintained their double-digit lead, holding a 54-40 advantage.

However, EAC began to chip away at the deficit as Wilfarm Oftana hit two clutch three-pointers, sparking a 13-4 run that brought the Generals within five, 58-53.

The momentum fully shifted in the fourth quarter.

Shawn Orgo briefly kept Perpetual ahead, 63-58, with a three-pointer, but EAC responded with back-to-back triples from Gurtiza and Gil Quinal.

The two gave the Generals the lead at 67-66 with 6:14 remaining.

#ReadMore  VTL: Paat, Santiago-Manabat play lim. minutes as Nakhon suffers sweep vs Diamond Food

Perpetual managed to stay within striking distance, with John Boral and Orgo hitting crucial free throws to pull the Altas within two, 72-70.

However, Gurtiza delivered a dagger three-pointer, extending EAC’s lead to five, 75-70, with under a minute to play.

In the final seconds, Mark Gojo Cruz had a chance to make a play for Perpetual, but Jethro Ochavo stripped the ball, securing a key steal that effectively sealed the game.

Ochavo and Harvey Pagsanjan sank the final free throws to close out the win for the Generals, 78-70.

EAC dominated the paint, out-rebounding Perpetual 46-36, including 20 offensive rebounds.

Despite committing 15 turnovers, the Generals capitalized on Perpetual’s 17 turnovers, converting them into 31 points compared to just 14 for the Altas.

Oftana chipped in 12 points, including four three-pointers, while also grabbing eight rebounds.

Gelo Loristo added 10 points in support of EAC’s balanced attack.

EAC will next face the Mapua Cardinals on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 2:30 PM.

For Perpetual, Orgo led with 16 points, while Cedrick Abis contributed 14.

Pagaran added 10 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Altas from dropping to a 4-6 record.

The Altas, who fell to 4-6 for seventh, will look to bounce back against the Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 12:00 PM.

Both games will take place at the same venue.


The Scores:

Emilio Aguinaldo 78 – Gurtiza 21, Oftana 12, Loristo 10, Quinal 9, Pagsanjan 7, Ochavo 6, Umpad 4, Lucero 3, Bagay 3, Angeles 2, Manacho 1, Devara 0, Jacob 0, Bacud 0, Luciano 0

#ReadMore  Magnolia new boy Wong earns praise from Victolero

Perpetual Help 70 – Orgo 16, Abis 14, Pagaran 10, Gojo Cruz 8, Montemayor 7, Nuñez 5, Gelsano 5, Boral 3, Manuel 2, Cauguiran 0

Quarterscores: 16-21, 32-46, 53-58, 78-70

Written By




You May Also Like

Basketball

Letran extended its winning streak to four games with an 84–73 victory over Jose Rizal University, seizing the top spot in the NCAA Bracket...

AU

Letran leaned on a second-half surge to end Benilde’s perfect run in the PlayTime Cares 18th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup presented by ABC Tile...

Basketball

Chicco Briones celebrated his 23rd birthday in style, exploding for 21 points to lead University of the Philippines past Far Eastern University, 75–65, and...

CSB

Strong Group has been a dominant force in the National Collegiate Athletic Association over the past few seasons, asserting its presence across multiple sports....

Basketball

University of Santo Tomas’ strong start and even stronger finish were more than enough to thwart University of the Philippines’ rally in the middle...

Basketball

Jacob Cortez delivered a masterclass on Saturday night, exploding for 31 points to power De La Salle University past University of the Philippines, 106-99,...

AdU

University of Santo Tomas and University of the Philippines now share the top spot in the UAAP Group standings of the PlayTime Cares 18th...

Basketball

Gerry Abadiano came alive in the fourth quarter to lift University of the Philippines to an 82–74 win over National University in the opening...

Advertisement