University of Perpetual Help System DALTA surged in the second half to defeat Jose Rizal University, 82-66, giving head coach Olsen Racela a victorious debut in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Rookie standout Mark Gojo Cruz, along with Altas veterans Shawn Orgo and John Boral, transformed a slim five-point lead in the third quarter into a commanding 20-point advantage in the fourth, 80-60, fueled by a 23-8 run.
Perpetual sealed the win with a dominant performance in the final period, outscoring the Heavy Bombers 18-10 and holding JRU to just 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
“I am happy with the win, our first win this season, and my NCAA first win, pero it’s part of our growth as a team,” Racela said.
“Marami pa kami kailangan gawin and we’re learning, we’re still adjusting sa isa’t isa, and sa system that we intend to build.”
Prior to a three-pointer by Mart Barrera at the 1:33 mark in the fourth, the Heavy Bombers had been scoreless for over 10 minutes.
Their last field goal before Barrera’s shot came from a layup by Joseph Pangilinan at the 2:21 mark of the third quarter.
Perpetual overcame a 41-all tie at halftime to secure a 16-point victory, thanks to a 41-25 second-half performance and limiting JRU to 7-of-19 shooting in the final period.
Cruz made a strong debut in the seniors league with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals on a 62.5-percent shooting clip.
He was previously a key player in Perpetual’s silver finish in the NCAA Season 99 Juniors Basketball Tournament.
Boral delivered a double-double performance with a game-high 17 points, 10 rebounds, and a block. Meanwhile, Christian Pagaran added 11 points, marking a successful start to Racela’s tenure with the Altas.
Perpetual will next face Arellano University on Friday at 2:30 PM at the same venue.
Joshua Guiab led JRU in the loss with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Barrera contributed 10 points.
The Heavy Bombers will look to rebound on Friday at 12:00 noon against the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights, also at the San Juan venue.
The Scores:
Perpetual Help 82 – Boral 17, Gojo Cruz 15, Pagaran 11, Orgo 7, Pizarro 7, Manuel 7, Geisano 5, Montemayor 3, Abis 3, Caguiran 3, Nunez 2, Sevilla 2, Javier 0, Danag 0, Movida 0
JRU 66 – Guiab 15, Barrera 10, Pangilinan 8, Lozano 7, Argente 5, Ramos 5, Panapanaan 4, De Leon 4, Samontanes 3, Raymundo 2, Mosqueda 2, Medina 1, Benitez 0, Sarmiento 0, Ferrer 0
Quarterscores: 20-21, 41-41, 64-56, 82-66
