By: Miguel Caramoan
With the steady play of John Abis, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA secured a hard-fought 71-65 victory over Jose Rizal University in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2025 PBA Draft tallied 17 points and seven rebounds on 54.5% shooting from the field, including a crucial jumper that lifted the Altas to a 66-63 lead with 2:27 remaining.
“That’s his role in this team to provide veteran leadership. He’s really not very vocal, pero he leads by example. I also just to commend his loyalty to the team, and it’s paying off now,” Altas head coach Olsen Racela said about Abis’ impact.
LA Casinillo iced the game with a basket with 10.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, making it a two-possession contest at 69-65. This marked the first win by a Group A team in crossover play against Group B squads, which had won the first four matchups.
The victory moves Perpetual to a comfortable first place in Group A with a 5-1 record.
“We were concerned about morale and spirit coming to the game because we came off a loss, but maganda yung mindset nila. That’s a tough JRU team. They’re well coached, very disciplined, and they run their system well,” Racela added, reflecting on how the Altas bounced back.
The Heavy Bombers started strong in the first quarter with the return of Shawn Argente, who sparked an 18-2 run with six quick points, capped by Sean Salvador’s back-to-back triples off the bench.
While JRU relied on perimeter scoring, the Altas attacked inside the paint, with baskets from Mark Gojo Cruz, John Boral, and Josh Alcantara turning a six-point deficit into a 22-18 lead at 5:33 of the period.
Sanlea Peñaverde’s six points, combined with Salvador and Stephen Garupil’s contributions, helped JRU regain the lead by halftime, 34-32. The third quarter became a back-and-forth affair, with Salvador continuing as JRU’s main offensive weapon, adding seven more points.
Perpetual, however, was paced by Abis and Casinillo, who combined for 11 points to win the quarter 20-16.
The Altas threatened to pull away with consecutive triples from Boral and Alcantara, giving them a 58-50 cushion at the 8:41 mark of the fourth quarter. JRU responded, as Peñaverde’s three-pointer cut the lead to 64-63 with 2:46 remaining.
That would be the Heavy Bombers’ final basket, as Abis and Argente added key points to seal the victory.
Abis was complemented by Gojo Cruz, who finished with 11 points, including two triples. The Altas’ bench, led by Boral, Alcantara, and Casinillo, contributed 24 of the team’s 30 second-unit points.
“Coming into this season, alam naman namin na medyo dehado kami when it comes to personnel. But I just have to commend our second group — I was really on them yesterday in practice because I know how crucial they will be this season, and it showed in this game,” Racela said of their bench performance.
“They played well in that stretch in the third quarter. Sila yung nakatulong sa lamang namin.”
Perpetual will aim to extend its winning streak against the EAC Generals on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Meanwhile, JRU falls to .500 with a 3-3 record, now tied with Letran and EAC in Group B.
Salvador led the Heavy Bombers with 18 points on 50% shooting from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and four assists.
Argente also reached double digits with 14 points but struggled with an inefficient 23.5% shooting. JRU will face the LPU Pirates on Tuesday at the same venue.
The Scores:
Perpetual Help 71 – Abis 17, Gojo Cruz 11, Boral 9, Alcantara 8, Casinillo 7, Orgo 5, Sleat 4, Nunez 4, Gelsano 4, Maglupay 2, Pizzaro 0, Tulabut 0
Jose Rizal 65 – Salvador 18, Argente 14, Penavede 9, Garupil 8, Panapanaan 6, Laurenaria 5, Lozano 3, Benitez 2, Sarmiento 0, Castillo 0, Duque 0
Quarterscores: 12-18, 32-34, 52-50, 71-65
