By: Jerod Orcullo
Colegio de San Juan de Letran secured at least a playoff spot, while San Beda University-Rizal, Emilio Aguinaldo College, and La Salle Green Hills kept their postseason hopes alive in the NCAA Season 100 Juniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Jhuniel Dela Rama delivered another double-double performance, leading Letran to a hard-fought 80-72 victory over Arellano University.
Dela Rama tallied 17 points, 12 rebounds, and one block. Arwin Alforque controlled the boards with 10 rebounds while adding eight points, while Justine Hugo and Tim Cruz contributed nine and eight points, respectively.
Meanwhile, after an explosive 39-point outing in their comeback win against San Sebastian College-Recoletos in their previous game, Daniel Padilla struggled to find his rhythm. He scored just two points on a frigid 1-of-14 shooting from the field.
Despite the setback, Padilla remained focused on their crucial upcoming match-up against the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, which will determine their final standing in the bracket.
“Sa’min, yung goal po namin maging number one po eh. Gusto namin talunin yung Perps, kasi sila yung number one. Yun yung goal po namin — siyempre number one tsaka number two, yun yung twice-to-beat eh,” he shared in an exclusive interview with Tiebreaker Times.
In the second game, San Beda secured back-to-back wins after snapping a three-game skid, defeating Lyceum of the Philippines University, 68-56.
Andrei Ugaddan led the Red Cubs with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two steals, while Francis Dollente chipped in 13 points, four assists, and four boards.
Despite a strong regular season, San Beda found itself trailing by five, 35-40, at halftime against the Junior Pirates.
In a post-game interview, Red Cubs head coach Miko Roldan credited Lyceum for their strong start but emphasized the adjustments made at halftime.
“We have to give it to Lyceum, they played really well in the first half. And then, we made some adjustments. Good thing we were able to take control back nung second half,” he stated.
San Beda responded with a dominant defensive effort in the fourth quarter, outscoring Lyceum 17-8 to close out the win.
Meanwhile, Emilio Aguinaldo College denied Mapua University an outright semifinal berth while keeping its own playoff hopes alive with a 78-71 wire-to-wire victory.
The Brigadiers had five players score in double figures, led by Kelly Coronel’s 24 points, five rebounds, and three steals.
Gedrick Luna added 13 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting along with five rebounds, while EJ Castillo, Rodonnel Campana, and Arian Lanceta each contributed 11 points.
Coronel came out firing, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the first half. However, despite his efforts, Emilio Aguinaldo only held a slim three-point lead, 40-37, at the break.
The game remained tight in the final quarter, but the Red Robins could not overcome the Brigadiers’ resilience. Campana nailed crucial shots from beyond the arc and the mid-range to seal the win and avoid elimination.
To round off the eighth day of NCAA Juniors action, La Salle Green Hills dominated Jose Rizal University, 76-54.
Guillan Quines, recently ranked sixth in the NBTC Under-19 rankings, led the charge with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Dale Ortega provided additional firepower with 15 points.
Trailing by five at halftime, the Greenies flipped the script in the third quarter, outscoring JRU 19-10 to seize the lead. From there, La Salle extended the margin to as much as 24 points before a late jumper from Denzel Ong in the final seconds of the game.
For Arellano, Johnray Ladica finished with 12 points and six rebounds, while Chris Dy posted 11 points, six boards, and four assists. Denver Baluyot and Aaron Manansala added 10 points each.
Despite Zyren Panerio’s game-high 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, the Junior Pirates remained winless at 0-8. Cleaffor Dag-um also contributed 13 points.
On the other hand, Froilan Reyes recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Mapua in a losing effort. Allan Laurenaria added 12 points and seven boards.
Jose Rizal relied heavily on James Almario, who finished with 16 points, as no other player reached double figures in their defeat.
As it stands, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA remains the only team with a secured Final Four berth, boasting a 7-1 record.
Despite Letran’s 6-2 record, its semifinal spot remains uncertain as Mapua, La Salle, San Beda, and Emilio Aguinaldo are all tied at 5-3.
On the other hand, with today’s losses, San Sebastian, Arellano, and Jose Rizal have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
The final day of the NCAA Juniors Basketball Tournament will take place on Monday, March 31, at the same venue, with teams vying for the remaining Final Four slots.
The Scores:
Second Game:
SBU-R 68 – Ugaddan 17, Dollente 13, Tauber 9, Vailoces 8, Medroso 8, San Juan 5, Wagan 4, Batongbakal 3, Feliciano 1, Reroma 0, Villanueva 0, Mondigo 0, Garcia 0, Winters 0, Agbayani 0.
LPU 56 – Panerio 18, Dag-um 13, Melchor 6, Conde 5, Abrantes 4, Pelayo 3, Pena 2, Enguio 2, Julio 2, Poli 1, Altamirano 0, Creus 0, Mercado 0.
Quarterscores: 17-17, 35-40, 51-48, 68-56.
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Third Game:
CSJL 80 – Dela Rama 17, Hugo 9, Alforque 8, Cruz 8, Villanueva 7, Danan 7, Pico 6, Lumague 5, Valdeavilla 4, Silorio 2, Quijada 2, Padilla 2, Magcale 2, Cargo 1, Quinones 0.
AU 72 – Ladica 12, Dy 11, Baluyot 10, Manansala 10, Mendoza 9, Yusi 9, Distrito 3, Vergara 3, Tagorda 2, Pillas 2, Guiral 1, Madridejos 0, Austria 0.
Quarterscores: 28-25, 51-46, 64-55, 80-72.
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Fourth Game:
EAC 78 – Coronel 24, Luna 13, Castillo 11, Campana 11, Lanceta 11, Bonus 4, Cuajao 2, Razo 2, Bautista 0, Jawali 0, Tecson 0, Canonigo 0.
MHSS 71 – Reyes 15, Salvador 14, Laurenaria 12, Miranda 9, Bernabe 6, Rodriguez 6, Coronel 3, Del Poso 2, Duque 2, Tagocon 2, Bagro 0, Loriaga 0, Catapang 0.
Quarterscores: 19-18, 40-37, 60-56, 78-71.
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Fifth Game:
LSGH 76 – Quines 17, Ortega 15, Hizon 8, Osis 6, Yutuc 6, Podador 5, Sharma 5, Ison 5, Peralta 4, Gomez 4, Abad 1, Torres 0, Hachuela 0, Calanasan 0, Gonzales 0.
JRU 54 – Almario 16, Marin 9, Taparan 6, Pinzon 5, Abequibel 4, Ong 3, Lacusong 3, Armendez 3, Callueng 3, Satparam 2, Quilban 0, Castillo 0, To 0, Ferrer 0.
Quarterscores: 21-11, 34-32, 53-40, 76-54.
