Olivarez College moved one step closer to securing the No. 1 seed in the second phase of the eliminations, dominating WCC-Aeronautical and Technological College, 94-69, in the UCAL-PGFlex Linoleum 7th Season on Monday, Feb. 24, at Paco Arena in Manila.
Holding onto a slim 60-55 lead entering the final quarter, the Sealions erupted offensively, outscoring the Skyhawks 34-14 in the last 10 minutes.
The victory extended their winning streak to five games, improving their record to 7-1.
In the other matchup, Immaculada Concepcion College (ICC) pulled off a stunning upset against reigning champion Centro Escolar University (CEU), 101-83, fueled by the scorching-hot shooting of Edrian Mark Ramirez and Alfred Joseph Flores.
Ramirez was nearly unstoppable, torching CEU with 34 points on an efficient 11-of-16 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Flores added 27 points, highlighted by four three-pointers, as ICC improved to 5-3.
The Sealions now need just one more win—against the winless Philippine Women’s University on Thursday—to officially claim the top spot.
Hakim Njiasse delivered another MVP-worthy performance with 30 points and 30 rebounds, but it was Jhon Patrick Panela who set the tone for Olivarez.
Panela sparked the fourth-quarter onslaught by scoring six straight points, transforming a tight contest into a blowout.
He finished with 19 points, helping hand the Skyhawks their seventh loss in eight games.
Meanwhile, CEU dropped to 3-5 after their tough loss to ICC.
