Kent Salado was a man on a mission Thursday, single-handedly lifting the Arellano Chiefs to a 91-86 victory over the Perpetual Altas in the NCAA Season 95 Seniors’ Basketball tournament.
Salado, who missed the entire campaign of the Chiefs last year, tallied 18 points, 12 assists, four steals, and three rebounds to end the Chiefs’ three-game slide.
Behind the Cagayan de Oro-native, Arellano turned a seven-point deficit into an eight-point advantage, 77-69, after a huge 16-1 spurt.
Though Jielo Razon and Kim Aurin were to cut the lead down to one, 85-86, with 42.7 seconds left, Salado did not allow a meltdown to happen, finding a wide-open Kai Oliva from beyond the arc that led to a triple that served as the dagger.
Justin Arana continued his stellar run as well, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. Daniel Bayla complemented his effort with 12 points and nine boards.
Perpetual, who dropped to a 3-11 slate, was led by Edgar Charcos, who had 22 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Ton Peralta added 17 markers while Aurin and Razon chipped in 15 markers each.
Arellano looks to sustain the momentum it gained when it faces the Mapua Cardinals on Tuesday, September 24 at 4:00 pm. Perpetual, on the other hand, hopes to end its streak when it squares off against San Beda on Thursday, September 26.
The Scores:
AU 91 – Salado 18, Arana 17, Bayla 12, Alcoriza 12, Concepcion 11, Sablan 8, Oliva 7, Gayosa 6, Espiritu 0, Segura 0, Sacramento 0.
UPHSD 86 – Charcos 22, Peralta 17, Aurin 15, Razon 15, Adamos 9, Lanoy 6, Giussani 2, Cuevas 0, Sevilla 0, Martel 0, Barasi 0, Tamayo 0.
Quarterscores: 28-17, 46-40, 59-63, 91-86
