By: Leiniel Santos
University of Perpetual Help System DALTA secured the No. 1 seed and a twice-to-beat advantage in the NCAA Season 100 Juniors Basketball Final Four after dominating Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 85-70, Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Junior Altas finished the eliminations with an 8-1 record, their only defeat coming in a narrow 83-80 loss to the San Beda Red Cubs on March 2.
Interestingly, Perpetual will face San Beda once again in the Final Four, which begins on April 7 at the same venue.
San Beda secured a Final Four slot earlier in the day after narrowly escaping the JRU Light Bombers, 64-62. They ended up in a three-way tie with Letran and La Salle Green Hills (LSGH), who also clinched a semifinal berth by eliminating EAC-ICA, 81-70.
All three teams finished with identical 6-3 records.
Defending champion Letran claimed the No. 2 seed and the other twice-to-beat advantage after securing the highest quotient among the three tied squads with a +13 differential. LSGH followed with a +7, while San Beda’s -20 placed them in the fourth spot.
The Greenies will be without head coach Renren Ritualo and ace Guilan Quines after being ejected from their game earlier.
As in most of their games, Perpetual set the tone early with a dominant first-quarter performance that dictated the pace of the match.
“I told them, everyone who starts, you need to set the tone, give your all, no reservations. Be selfless and hustle. Bigay lang lahat, and if you’re tired, let us know,” said head coach John Cleopas.
Perpetual’s victory was a result of a collective effort, with nine out of 12 players contributing offensively.
Jan Roluna led the charge with a double-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Jericho Cristino added 15 points, seven rebounds, and an assist, while Lebron Jhames Daep showcased his versatility with 13 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
Jan Pagulayan nearly recorded a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
For Letran, only two players reached double digits, with Jhello Lumague tallying 14 points and eight rebounds, while Daniel Padilla contributed 11 points, one rebound, and two assists.
Meanwhile, in the fourth game of the day, Lyceum of the Philippines University ended its campaign on a high note, securing its first win of the tournament with a commanding 92-72 victory over Arellano University.
“Iba ‘yung feeling, sobrang saya. ‘Yun talaga ‘yung sabi namin sa mga bata, sana ma-feel din namin ‘yung pagpasok ng dugout, masaya,” said head coach Al Vergara, savoring the moment of their breakthrough win.
Junior Pirate Clint Conde led Lyceum’s offense with 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Jericho Abrantes followed with 13 points, two rebounds, and an assist, while Zyren Panerio and Steven Creus chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
For Arellano, Ray Yusi delivered a double-double performance with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and an assist, but it wasn’t enough to stop Lyceum’s determination to finish strong.
Chris Dy added 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Jax Distrito contributed 10 points, five rebounds, and an assist.
The Braves, who secured one of the two wildcard slots in the 2025 Smart NBTC National Finals, wrapped up their NCAA campaign in seventh place with a 3-6 record.
The Scores
Fourth Game
LPU 92 – Conde 21, Abrantes 13, Panerio 12, Creus 10, Melchor 8, Poli 8, Dag-um 7, Pelayo 6, Altamirano 4, Yonzon 2, Omelio 1, Pena 0, Mercado 0, Julio 0, Enguio 0.
AU 72 – Yusi 16, Dy 14, Distrito 10, Mendoza 8, Baluyot 8, Manansala 5, Ladica 4, Vergara 4, Pillas 2, Tagorda 1, Ferriols 0, Austria 0, Pascual 0, Aurita 0, Madridejos 0.
Quarterscores: 25-13, 50-32, 75-50, 92-72
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Fifth Game
UPHSD 85 – Roluna 18, Cristino 15, Daep 12, Pagulayan 11, Callangan 8, Tabbuan 6, Baldoria 6, Rosales 5, Corpuz 4, Zanoria 0, Nitura 0, Borja 0.
CSJL 70 – Lumague 14, Padilla 11, Cargo 9, Villanueva 8, Dela Rama 6, Cruz 5, Silorio 4, Pico 4, Quijada 4, Paguio 3, Hugo 2, Valdeavilla 0, Danan 0, Alforque 0, Quinones 0.
Quarterscores: 24-12, 47-38, 65-51, 85-70
