By: Miguel Caramoan
Emilio Aguinaldo College returned to the winning column in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament with an 84-73 triumph over Arellano University on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The game started with both teams exchanging runs.
The Chiefs opened with a nine-point burst, led by T-Mc Ongotan, to take an 18-9 lead. But the Generals quickly responded with a 14-2 run sparked by Wilmar Oftana, who scored eight quick points.
EAC carried that momentum into a dominant second quarter, outscoring Arellano 24-14.
Cris Shanoda led the charge with 9 of his 11 points in the period, including a perfect 4-of-4 shooting in the first half.
The Generals maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half, with the Chiefs unable to narrow the gap past 11 points, reflected in the final score.
“We played with a lot of intensity because we know the value of this game, kasi right now, we’re at the bottom of the standings. So I reminded the boys that if we lose today talagang mababaon kami,” EAC head coach Jerson Cabiltes said.
“So we needed to get this win in order to stay afloat sa mga kasama namin sa groupings, kasi lamang lang yung iba sa amin sa wins at three wins.”
Overall, Oftana, Shanoda, Jude Bagay, and Brian Angeles powered EAC’s offense, combining for 57 of the team’s 84 points.
Oftana led the way with 19 points, three assists, and three steals, including a scorching 5-of-6 from three-point range. Bagay added 12 points and five rebounds, with both players coming off the bench.
Shanoda added 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 clip and chipped in five rebounds, while Angeles led the starters with 15 points on 85.7% shooting from the field.
“I always emphasize collective effort. I don’t want to rely on a particular person or player na siya lagi yung gagawa. It’s easy to scout and easy to check, so we emphasize na kahit sino pwede gumawa sa amin and kahit sino pwede mag-step up,” Cabiltes said on multiple Generals stepping up for the win.
“Right now, it’s not just [Wilmar] Oftana, other bigs also stepped up and or guards stepped up offensively dahil nga pesky ang defense ng Arellano, kaya nakasabay kami.”
With the victory, EAC improved to 2-3, creating a virtual tie for fourth place with Letran in Group B.
The Generals aim to extend their winning streak against the San Sebastian Golden Stags on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Meanwhile, Arellano fell to 2-3 but retained the third seed in Group A.
Renzo Abiera led the Chiefs with 24 points and 3 rebounds on 50% shooting, while Ongotan, unable to sustain his early performance, added only four points in the second half to finish with 13 points.
The Chiefs will look to bounce back against the Benilde Blazers on Sunday, also at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
Emilio Aguinaldo 84 – Oftana 19, Angeles 15, Bagay 12, Shanoda 11, Castillo 7, Bacud 7, Quinal 3, Ochavo 3, Lucero 2, Devara 2, Postanes 2, Villarente 1, Loristo 0, Tolentino 0
Arellano 73 – Abiera 24, Ongotan 13, Libang 7, Cabotaje 7, Geronimo 6, Valencia 4, Camay 4, Hernal 2, Vinoya 2, Langit 2, Borromeo 1, Acop 1, Buenaventura 0, Anama 0
Quarterscores: 25-23, 49-37, 66-52, 84-73
