San Sebastian College-Recoletos defused Jose Rizal University’s three-game winning streak as the Golden Stags defeated the Heavy Bombers 72-59 in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Jose Rizal University had been on a roll, defeating Mapua University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, and the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the past week.
The Stags controlled the game on the defensive side of the court, employing a 1-2-2 zone defense that troubled JRU throughout the afternoon.
“Siguro ano lang, I gave the credit sa player at sa coaches, yung scouting was done by the coaches, at yung best nagrespond. Yung zone defense namin was very effective, yun lang talagang walang senior-senior, talagang trumabaho sila lang,” said first-year Golden Stags coach John Kallos.
Despite struggling in the first quarter with only nine points, the Stags’ defensive setup allowed them to quickly get back in the game, and they entered halftime tied at 31-31.
In the second half, the Stags took control of the game as the Heavy Bombers continued to struggle against the zone defense. They led by as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter, 62-49, after a three-pointer from Are, but JRU refused to give up.
The Heavy Bombers responded with an 8-0 run and cut their deficit to five, 57-62, after a Shawn Argante three-pointer, prompting the Stags to call a timeout.
“Actually ang sinabi ko lang, puwede naman talaga tayo magkamali kasi tao lang tayo but we have to move on and learn from it. Huwag natin ulitin,” said Kallos in the midst of JRU’s comeback attempt.
Kallos’ squad took his words to heart, ending the game on a 10-2 run and securing the 72-59 win.
Jessie Sumoda was a reliable weapon for the Golden Stags, scoring 15 points on an efficient 77.8-percent shooting from the field. Raymart Escobido and Alex Desoyo each contributed 12 points for San Sebastian, while Romel Calahat had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Rafael Are contributed across the board with a statline of nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and a game-high six steals. While Felebrico only scored two points, his 10 rebounds were crucial in a tightly contested matchup.
“Nung down by nine kami on the first quarter, yung mga scrappy boys ang nandoon. Nagkaroon kami ng run, nagkaroon kami ng momentum, and then by end game yung itwala ko nandoon sa mga, kay Jessie, si Alex, si Romel, si Are, so nandiyan naman sa kanila yung tiwala namin ng mga coaches. Nagrespond talaga sila, they controlled the whole game in the third quarter and fourth,” Kallos shared after the game.
The Stags improved to 2-3 for the season, now tied with College of Saint Benilde for sixth place in the standings. They will face the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA on Friday.
Agem Miranda was the lone scorer in double digits for JRU, dropping 15 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out two assists. The Heavy Bombers’ fiery scorer was held to only three points in the second half as the Stags tightened their defensive rotations.
JRU’s star court general, JL Delos Santos, was held to only one point with no field goals, but he grabbed seven boards and recorded three assists in his 20 minutes of play.
The Heavy Bombers tumbled to third in the standings with a 4-2 record, behind Lyceum of the Philippines University and Mapua University. They will face the fourth seed, San Beda University, on Saturday.
The Scores:
San Sebastian 72 – Sumoda 15, Escobido 12, Desoyo 12, Calahat 11, Are 9, Una 6, Shanoda 4, Felebrico 2, Gabat 1, De Leon 0, Gabat 0, Aguilar 0
JRU 59 – Miranda 15, Guiab 9, Argente 7, Mosqueda 7, Arenal 6, Pabico 4, Sarmiento 4, Dionisio 3, Ramos 2, Delos Santos 1, De Leon 1. Medina 0, Barrera 0, Sy 0
Quarterscores: 9-18, 31-31, 55-46, 72-59
