San Beda University maintained its 13-year dominance over Emilio Aguinaldo College in the NCAA Seniors Basketball Tournament, defeating the Generals 86-72 to conclude the first round of season 99 on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The Red Lions extended their undefeated streak to 26-0 against the Generals in EAC’s brief history in the NCAA after their victory.
The win elevated San Beda to a 7-2 record, securing the second spot in the standings, just behind Mapua University.
“It’s a good win diba? Itong past games namin. But we still have one more round. Matagal pa to,” said first-year Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta.
Ralph Robin initially gave San Beda an early scare in the first quarter as the sharpshooting left-handed guard of EAC hit three quick threes. However, the Red Lions managed to weather Robin’s hot shooting, entering the second frame with a lead of 24-20.
The game took a decisive turn in the third quarter, where the Red Lions outscored EAC 28-14, turning the match into a blowout. The Generals put up a valiant effort in the fourth quarter to reduce their deficit, but the San Beda lead never dropped below 11 points as they secured the second spot.
The victory came at a cost for San Beda as its third-year forward Yukien Andrada was forced to leave the game with a leg injury at the 5:23 mark during a fastbreak attempt.
“Hopefully Yuk is okay, and we’ll keep grinding, improving in practice, and preparing for the second round, which I’m sure will be tougher,” shared Escueta.
Clifford Jopia and Jomel Puno caused trouble for the Generals inside throughout the game.
Both San Beda big men recorded double-doubles, with Jopia contributing 11 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, while Puno had 11 points and 12 boards.
Escueta praised Jopia’s strong performance, noting that the big man struggled to adjust to the speed of the NCAA at the beginning of the season.
“Malaking bagay for us na nakacontribute si Cliff at na-take advantage niya yung height niya, especially sa NCAA. Ball game ng guards sa NCAA kasi pabilisan,” said Escueta.
Jacob Cortez once again led San Beda in scoring with 17 points, while Yukien Andrada added 14 points of his own.
The Red Lions will have a short break before commencing the second round with a game against Arellano University on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Ralph Robin was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points, but only one other General, King Gurtiza, had a double-digit outing with 10 points.
The Generals concluded the first round with a 5-4 record, placing them just outside the final four at fifth in the standings.
They aim to return to winning form against San Sebastian College-Recoletos on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The Scores:
SBU 86 – Cortez 17, Andrada 14, Jopia 11, Puno 11, Cuntapay 8, Tagle 7, Payosing 7, Royo 4, Gonzales 3, Visser 2, LLanera 2, Gallego 0, Tagala 0, Torres 0, Lopez 0
EAC 72 – Robin 22, Gurtixa 10, Cosejo 9, Ochavo 8, Tolentino 6, Maguliano 4, Angeles 4, Cosas 2, Quinal 2, Umpad 2, Dominguez 2, Bacud 1, Balowa 0, Luciano 0, Loristo 0
Quarterscores: 24-20, 44-38, 72-52, 86-72
