UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System DALTA is now just one victory away from making history.
Behind the stellar performance of MVP frontrunner Lebron Jhames Daep and Jan Roluna, the Junior Altas outlasted the La Salle Green Hills Greenies, 100-96, in Game One of the NCAA Season 100 Juniors Basketball Finals, Friday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Daep and Roluna combined for 41 points—21 and 20, respectively—and displayed the poise and hunger of seasoned seiors, leading the charge as the Jr. Altas moved to the cusp of their first-ever NCAA championship since joining the league 41 years ago.
Coach Joph Cleopas’ squad needs just one more win in the best-of-three series to finally hoist the coveted NCAA crown and etch their names into the record books.
But the road to victory was anything but easy.
LSGH pushed Perpetual to the brink, turning the game into a nail-biter down the stretch.
With only 15.7 seconds left on the clock, the Greenies closed the gap to just two points, 97-95. But Roluna, ice in his veins, calmly sank pressure-packed free throws to seal the win and preserve their lead until the final buzzer.
Three more Jr. Altas delivered double-digit outings: Jericho Cristino finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, JD Pagulayan filled the stat sheet with 13 points, four rebounds, six assists, and four steals, while Louie Rosales contributed 12 points, two boards, and two assists.
Court general Icee Callangan played a vital all-around role with five points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, orchestrating Perpetual’s offense and providing much-needed stability during tense moments.
Despite the loss, La Salle Greenhills found a bright spot in Guillian Quines, who erupted for a game-high 29 points along with two rebounds, three assists, four steals, and a block—putting the Greenies in striking distance until the final moments.
Game Two is set for Palm Sunday, April 13, at 2:30 PM, with Perpetual Help eyeing to complete its championship mission.
Before that, the bronze medal match between the Letran Squires and the San Beda Red Cubs will tip off at 12:00 noon.
The Scores:
UPHSD 100 – Daep 21, Roluna 20, Cristino 14, Pagulayan 13, Rosales 12, Baldoria 6, Callangan 5, Corpuz 5, Tabbuan 4, Velasquez 0, Zanoria 0, Borja 0.
LSGH 96 – Quines 29, Ortega 19, Gomez 15, Osis 11, Abad 7, Sharma 6, Hizon 5, Yutuc 4, Podador 0, Ison 0.
Quarterscores: 26-22, 44-45, 79-68, 100-96.
