T-Mc Ongotan spearheaded Arellano University in its rout of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 98-72, to open its NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball campaign on Monday at the Filoil Centre.
Ongotan led all scorers with 23 points, six assists, and three steals.
Basti Valencia and Renzo Abiera supported Ongotan with 12 points apiece for Arellano.
“He’s a leader talaga dito sa group na ‘to. Ito ‘yung bunga ng will ng preparation namin,” said head coach Chico Manabat of Ongotan, who recently recovered from a hamstring injury sustained during the preseason.
The Chiefs set the tone from the get-go, sparking a quick 10-0 run just one and a half minutes into the game.
With Ongotan consistently finding himself at the free-throw line, Arellano continued to punish the Stags in the second quarter. The Chiefs also capitalized on San Sebastian’s turnovers, building a 27-point lead before halftime, 61-34.
Although coach Rodney Santos’ squad answered with a 14-6 run to start the second half, the deficit proved too much to overcome.
Arellano continued to pummel the Stags with transition baskets and cruised to a 26-point opening victory.
The Chiefs capitalized on San Sebastian’s 27 turnovers, scoring 29 points off their opponents’ costly errors. Their depth also took center stage, with the bench combining for 45 points.
“We prepared physically and mentally. Nawa tuloy-tuloy na ‘to and hindi kaman pa natatapos dito. Siguro maganda lang sa una ‘to, pero dapat may patunayan kami,” Manabat added.
On the other hand, Matt Acosta posted a double-double for San Sebastian despite the loss, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while John Ynot also scored 13 points.
The Stags will look for their first victory when they take on Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Friday at 5:00 PM. Meanwhile, the Chiefs hope to keep their momentum going against Emilio Aguinaldo College next Tuesday at 5:00 PM.
Both Group B matches will be held at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
The Scores:
Arellano 98 – Ongotan 23, Valencia 12, Abiera 12, Libang 9, Flores 8, Cabotaje 8, Vinoya 6, Borromeo 4, Geronimo 4, Camay 3, Langit 3, Hernal 3, Manansala 3, Buenaventura 0, Anama 0.
San Sebastian 72 – Acosta 13, Ynot 13, Alforque 8, Ricio 8, Gabat 7, Castor 6, Cuya 4, Bacani 4, Salvo 4, Velasco 2, Cruz 2, Muktimar 1, Dimaunahan 0, Segovia 0, Chuidian 0.
Quarterscores: 34-22, 61-36, 76-55, 98-72.
