With Arellano University struggling to secure victories in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament, Jade Talampas stepped up in crunch time with three consecutive three-pointers and the game-winner, leading the Chiefs to a massive 74-72 upset over the San Beda Red Lions on Friday at the Filoil Eccoil Centre.
With only 16 seconds left on the game clock and the Chiefs in possession, the ball found its way to Jade Talampas, who calmly sank the game-winning three-pointer, securing a 74-72 victory against the Red Lions.
“Regarding doon sa last possession na iyon, wala akong iniisip kundi yung sinabi ni Coach (Chico Manabat) sa akin, ‘Focus ka lang, darating yung bola sa iyo.’ Ginawa namin then luckily naka survive kami ng game na iyon, talagang once in a lifetime experience para sa amin yung game na ito,” shared Talampas after their huge win.
Talampas had made back-to-back three-pointers in the two possessions before, keeping the Chiefs’ offense afloat. He was well aware that their previous close losses were due to their lack of scoring in crunch time.
“Siguro yung iniisip ko lang palaging nagkukulang yung finishing touches, yung pagseal ng game. Most of the time karamihan ng mga past few games namin natatalo kami dahil nagkakaroon ng breaks of the game,wala kaming pang finish, so inisip ko na someone needs to step up para ipakita namin yung best namin; kung paano kami maglaro talaga,” the former Red Cub continued.
Talampas finished the game with 18 points and four three-pointers on 66.7-percent. shooting from the field. All of his points came in the second half as Arellano rallied back to take the lead from San Beda.
The Chiefs had fallen behind by as much as 11 in the third quarter, 38-49, after a layup from James Payosing with 8:17 left in the quarter. In true Chiefs fashion, they fought their way back into the game with a 17-2 run, taking a 55-51 lead after Talampas’ layup.
San Beda regained its advantage in the fourth quarter, but the Red Lions failed to contain Talampas’ hot shooting, allowing Arellano to escape with stunning victory.
Manabat expressed his gratitude for his squad’s effort in fighting back in the game and not being demoralized by San Beda’s early momentum.
“I always remind them that when we leave, the only reason we go to the Filoil Arena is to win. I told them we have two reasons: to win and to win. So that they have no escape from winning. The hard work of these kids really paid off. I give this to the coaches and their sleepless nights. You know Jade came from San Beda, and it’s his last year. It’s also a compliment to the whole team; they all really want to play, not just to play but to win,” Manabat said.
RV Yanes contributed 11 points off the bench for Manabat, while Danielle Mallari added 10 of his own. Troy Valencia had a full stat line of 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.
Arellano managed to secure the upset despite a significant size disadvantage against the Red Lions, as they were outrebounded 34-61 in the game.
The Chiefs kept their final four hopes alive, improving to a 2-8 record for the season after defeating the second-top team in the league. Their next challenge is against Jose Rizal University next Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Payosing led the way for San Beda with 20 points and eight rebounds. The frontcourt duo of Jomel Puno (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Clifford Jopia (11 points, 18 rebounds) gave the Chiefs trouble throughout the game, both recording double-doubles.
Jacob Cortez struggled to get going all night, finishing the game without a single field goal and scoring two points — both from the foul stripe.
San Beda was missing its starting forward, Yukien Andrada, and had Puno take his place in the starting lineup.
The Red Lions fell to 7-3 for the season, moving further away from the top of the standings. They hope to rebound in their showdown against San Sebastian College-Recoletos, scheduled for Sunday at 12:20 p.m.
The Scores:
Arellano 74– Talampas 18, Yanes 11, Mallari 10, Valencia 10, Capulong 8.Ongotan 5, Villarente 4, Geronimo 4, Sunga 2, Dela Cruz 2, Rosalin 0
San Beda 72– Payosing 20, Puno 14, Jopia 11, Tagle 9, Alfaro 7, Cuntapay 6, Gallego 3, Cortez 2, Visser 0, Tagala 0, Llanera 0, Peregrina 0, Royo 0
Quarterscores: 17-24, 35-43, 57-53, 74-72
