Ralph Robin’s heroics in the fourth quarter saved Emilio Aguinaldo College from a 22-point first-half deficit to secure an 80-77 come-from-behind victory over San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the second round of the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Robin scored seven of the Generals’ last 10 points, including back-to-back go-ahead triples and the game-sealing free throw.
After the game, head coach Jerson Cabiltes joked that he trusts Robin’s shots as long as they find the bottom of the net, as they did in the fourth quarter.
“Lagi kong sinasabing ‘pag na-shoot, good, pag-miss, bad. Kasi galing sa offensive rebound, so sinasabi ko, ‘huwag, huwag, huwag,’ pero na-shoot, good shot. He’s practicing that shot, so he’s ready for that moment, lagi nage-extra itong si Robin eh, so I know he can make that shot, so walang problema iyon,” shared Cabiltes.
Robin finished with 13 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter, and added three rebounds and five assists en route to the victory.
The Generals were sluggish out of the gate on both ends of the court, and the Stags took advantage.
EAC found itself at a 22-point disadvantage in the middle of the second quarter, 14-36 after a triple from Alex Desoyo at the 6:37 mark.
The Generals spent the second half digging themselves out of their hole.
Ater clawing their way back into the game, they took hold of the lead for the first time, 73-72 at the 3:16 mark of the fourth quarter, with Robin hitting back-to-back triples.
The lead would not return to Baste’s favor as the Generals led the rest of the way. They got a stop on Desoyo’s last-second attempt at a game-tying triple and secured the 80-77 victory.
Cabiltes shared his insight on the locker room discussion at halftime that helped the Generals turn their slow start around.
“Hindi maganda yung performance namin at the start. What I told them at halftime: we gave up 50 points, and we missed 10 free throws. Sabi ko yung free throws matatanggap ko pa na nag-miss kami, but I can’t accept the fact that we gave up 50 points at halftime,” Cabiltes explained.
“Walang malas sa depensa. I told those guys, the only way to come back in the second half is to play tough defense. Yun lang, credit to the boys, nag-respond sila doon sa challenge na ‘yan. Lucky for us we got the win.”
JP Maguliano was a constant and reliable force for EAC throughout their comeback, recording 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Nat Cosejo was similarly vital inside the paint with 16 points and seven boards.
The Generals climbed to a 6-4 record, inching closer towards a final four berth as they tied themselves with Jose Rizal University at fourth in the standings.
EAC will have an important matchup against the number three team, Lyceum of the Philippines University, on Saturday at 9:30 AM.
Alex Desoyo caught fire for the Stags, and his hot shooting helped them jump out to their early lead. In the end, though, Desoyo’s 24 points and six triples were not enough for Baste to get the win.
Tristan Felebrico was the lone scorer in double digits alongside Desoyo with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. Desoyo’s backcourt running mates, Rafael Are and Raymart Escobido, both struggled.
The two combined for just 10 points on 5-of-20 shooting.
The Stags strayed further down the standings as they tumbled to 3-7 for the season. They hope to turn things around against Jose Rizal University on Friday at 4:00 PM.
The Scores:
EAC 80- Maguliano 22, Cosejo 16, Robin 13, Angeles 8, Tolentino 6, Gurtiza 6, Ochavo 2, Balowa 2, Cosa 2, Umpad 2, Loristo 1, Bacud 0, Luciano 0, Quinal 0, Ednilag 0
SSC-R 77- Desoyo 24, Felebrico 12, Sumoda 9, Castor 9, Escobido 6, Una 6, Are 4, Calaíta 4, Shanoda 2, Re. Gabat 1
Quarterscores: 14-26, 34-50, 54-63, 80-77
