In what could have possibly been the final NCAA game of his collegiate career, Jielo Razon showed up to lead the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA past San Sebastian College-Recoletos after a dominating 75-60 performance in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
With the hopes of keeping their final four dreams alive, Razon caught fire in the fourth quarter and knocked down three straight triples.
Those shots turned the game into a blowout, giving the Altas a fighting shot at the playoffs.
That fiery fourth quarter helped Razon achieve his career-high in the NCAA with 26 points, poetically in what could possibly be his final game in the collegiate ranks.
“Akala ko nga si Kobe at si Michael Jordan siya kanina eh, tira ng tira. Sabi ko, ‘You enjoy, you enjoy your last game ng eliminations.’ Pinaliwanag ko na eliminations kasi we’re still hoping and praying,” said head coach Myk Saguiguit.
The Altas entered the matchup sluggishly as Baste outpaced them in the first quarter, 13-22.
Perpetual quickly bounced back, though, and by the third quarter, it took a double-digit advantage for itself, leading 55-45 at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter was the Jielo Razon show as the fifth-year guard quickly knocked in back-to-back-to-back triples, blowing the game wide open at 66-47.
Razon’s fiery offensive showing took the fight out of the Stags as Perpetual ran away with the win.
“Sinabi ko sa kanila, it’s all about Jielo and Jasper (Cuevas) kasi matagal na nilang kasama ‘yan since high school kasama nila. Bigyan natin ng magandang last name sa eliminations para naman sulit, para ‘yung tipong after nitong game na ito sasabihin nila ma-miss man nila ‘yung basketball mayroon silang maiisip,” shared Saguiguit after the game.
On the way to his 26 points, Razon knocked down six triples, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists to help secure the win for Perpetual.
Christian Pagaran was the only other scorer in double digits with 15 points.
The Altas ended their stint in the elimination round with a 10-8 record, placing them sixth in the standings. They could still move up through losses from the teams ahead of them.
With their elimination round run concluded, the Altas await the results of the remaining matches of San Beda University and Jose Rizal University.
Should the Red Lions and the Heavy Bombers drop their remaining games, the Altas enter a playoff scenario among the three teams for the fourth seed.
Romel Calahat dropped 19 points and nine rebounds, while Alex Desoyo chipped in with 12 points off three triples.
Down to a 5–12 record, the Stags have one more game on their schedule. They go up against Arellano University on Friday at 1:30 PM.
The Scores:
UPHSD 75- Razon 26, Pagaran 15, Nitura 8, Abis 7, Omega 6, Roque 4, Gelsano 4, Movida 3, Orgo 2, Barcuma 0, Nunez 0, Sevilla 0, Cuevas 0, Ferreras 0, Boral 0
SSC-R 60- Calahat 19, Desoyo 12, De Leon 6, Re. Gabat 5, Felebrico 4, Escobido 4, Castor 4, Are 3, Sumoda 2, Una 1, Singson 0, Ra. Gabat 0, Barroga 0, Bacani 0, Chuidan 0
Quarterscores: 13-22; 35-35; 55-45; 75-60
