By: Brenn Allen Flores
Joshua Guiab’s 19 points and 12 rebounds powered Jose Rizal University to a 75-63 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College, securing their third win in the NCAA Season 100 Men’s Senior Basketball Tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Friday.
Guiab shot 8-of-18 (44.4%) from the field, with 10 of his points coming in the second half. Renz Bernardo also contributed, finishing with 13 points and three steals in just his third game of the season.
Guiab and Bernardo set the tone early for JRU, each scoring 9 points in the first half to give their team a 36-32 lead at the break.
JRU started strong in the third quarter, as Guiab pushed the lead to 44-37 midway through the period. However, EAC managed to close the gap, thanks to Paolo Bagay’s efforts, heading into the final quarter.
The Heavy Bombers then pulled away in the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run, highlighted by key baskets from Guiab, Bernardo, and Shawn Argente, which extended their lead to double digits at 61-51.
EAC’s King Gurtiza and Harvey Pagsanjan attempted to mount a comeback, trimming the deficit to six at 61-55. However, the Generals struggled offensively and couldn’t make crucial stops down the stretch, ultimately handing them a loss to end their Round 1 campaign.
Both EAC and JRU now sit tied for sixth place alongside Arellano University, each holding a 3-5 record.
Argente added 12 points for JRU, including nine during the pivotal fourth-quarter surge.
For EAC, only two Generals reached double figures – Gurtiza scored 15 points, while Bagay added 12 points and four rebounds off the bench.
The Heavy Bombers will next face the CSB Blazers while the Generals will take on the San Sebastian Golden Stags to wrap up Round 1 on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
Jose Rizal 75 – Guiab 19, Bernardo 13, Argente 12, Raymundo 8, Benitez 8, De Leon 5, Garcia 5, Ferrer 3, Barrera 2, Samontanes 0, Pangilinan 0, Panapanaan 0, Mosqueda 0, Sarmiento 0, De Jesus 0
Emilio Aguinaldo 63 – Gurtiza 15, Bagay 12, Oftana 7, Lucero 6, Pagsanjan 5, Doromal 4, Luciano 4, Ochavo 4, Quinal 4, Loristo 2, Jacob 0, Umpad 0, Postanes 0, Manacho 0, Angeles 0
Quarterscores: 16-15, 36-32, 50-49, 75-63
