San Sebastian College-Recoletos secured its first victory of the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament in dominant fashion on Saturday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre, overpowering Arellano University with a convincing 111-86 win.
Six players achieved double-digit scores for the Golden Stags, with rookie Mark De Leon leading the way, contributing 16 points, all of which came in the first half.
Rafael Are also had 15 points of his own, while Jessie Sumoda came close to recording a triple-double with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Alex Desoyo and Romel Calahat both added 12 points each, while Escobido chipped in with 10.
San Sebastian took control of the game early by initiating a 17-4 run, establishing a 15-point lead in the first quarter after Romel Calahat’s layup, which put Baste ahead at 28-13.
Arellano spent the remainder of the game attempting to catch up, narrowing the deficit to as little as five points at 62-67 in the third quarter following an and-1 play by Lorenz Capulong at the 3:36 mark.
An unsportsmanlike foul at the 2:45 mark from Arellano’s Joshua Dela Cruz ultimately halted the Chiefs’ momentum. Baste capitalized on the incident, embarking on a 14-3 run that restored their double-digit lead and ultimately secured the victory.
Coach John Kallos, a rookie coach, commented on the incident, saying, “Sabi ko lang kay Alex na nagdaan na siya sa mga ganiyang sitwasyon. You have to use your mind, hindi kailangang uminit yung ulo or magalit sa basketball. We’ll continue to pour points, magshoot na lang tayo ng magshoot para lumamang tayo, doon na lang natin daanin yung game.”
With this win, San Sebastian improved to a 1-1 record for the season, joining College of Saint Benilde, San Beda University, and Jose Rizal University in a four-way tie.
The Golden Stags face a tough matchup against Lyceum of the Philippines University next on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Lorenzo Capulong led the Chiefs with 21 points, while Jerico Camay added 15. Danielle Mallari and Jeadan Ongotan contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively, for Arellano.
Arellano, on the other hand, fell to a 0-2 record at the start of Season 99 of the NCAA. They hope to secure their first win in their upcoming game against the University of Perpetual Help Systems DALTA on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The Scores:
San Sebastian 111 – De Leon 16, Are 15, Sumoda 14, Calahat 12, Desoyo 12, Escobido 10, Gabat 8, Shanoda 6, Castor 6, Gabat 4, Aguilar 4, Una 2, V elasco 2, Singson 0
Arellano 86 – Capulong 21, Camay 15, Mallari 13, Ongotan 11, Dayrit 9, Talampas 6, Valencia 6, Sunga 3, Villarente 2, Rosalin 0, Dela Cruz 0, Abastillas 0, Geronimo 0, Tan 0.
Quarterscores: 30-17, 52-43, 83-66, 111-86.
