By: Miguel Caramoan
An instant classic between the two group leaders.
With clutch shooting from Patrick Sleat and Mark Gojo Cruz, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Altas secured an 88-85 triple-overtime victory over San Beda University in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Sleat, who fouled out in the third overtime, finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Sophomore Gojo Cruz added 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists to lead the Altas to the hard-fought win.
“Unang-una, ni-ready ko na mindset ko na kagabi pa lang, alam kong magiging maganda yung laban and hindi namin makukuha basta-basta. Grind lang talaga ng grind,” Gojo Cruz said on how he prepared for the Red Lions.
A clutch triple from Gojo Cruz gave Perpetual a 63-59 lead with 1:50 remaining in regulation. But San Beda’s Yukien Andrada answered with a three-pointer with 34.3 seconds left, sending the game into overtime.
In the first overtime, Nygel Gonzales converted a three-point play to put the Red Lions ahead, 70-66, before another Gojo Cruz triple and a John Boral free throw tied it at 70. John Abis and Janti Miller then exchanged baskets to end the period at 72-72, forcing a second overtime.
Perpetual came out strong in the second overtime with a five-point run to lead 77-72 at the 2:12 mark. However, a 5-0 Red Lions spurt, capped by a booming Miller three-pointer, sent the game into a third overtime.
In the third overtime, the Altas maintained their momentum, with consecutive triples from Gojo Cruz and Boral stretching the lead to 88-83 and sealing the victory.
With the win, Perpetual extends its winning streak to four games and opens a wider gap over Mapua for the top spot in Group B with an 8-1 record.
“I’m just so proud of how we fought today. We were up in the first quarter, bumalik sila and then dikitan na hanggang sa huli. Ang galing ni Miller, but to beat a great program like San Beda is an achievement for our team,” said Perpetual head coach Olsen Racela on the hard-earned victory.
The Altas will return to action against fellow Group A opponents, starting with the San Sebastian Golden Stags on November 8 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
San Beda, meanwhile, drops to 6-2 after snapping their four-game winning streak but remain at the top of Group B.
Despite some shooting struggles, Janti Miller recorded a career-high 28 points with seven rebounds, while Andrada and Gonzales contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively.
The Red Lions will close out their crossover assignments against the LPU Pirates on November 4 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Scores:
Perpetual Help 88 – Sleat 23, Gojo Cruz 20, Abis 14, Nunez 8, Boral 8, Orgo 7, Alcantara 5, Casinillo 2, Pizzaro 1, Maglupay 0, Borja 0, Gelsano 0.
San Beda 85 – Miller 28, Andrada 13, Gonzales 11, Estacio 10, Puno 9, Etulle 5, Lina 4, Culdora 3, Celzo 2, Sajonia 0, Reyes 0, Calimag 0.
Quarterscores: 17-8, 36-36, 48-51, 64-64, 72-72, 77-77, 88-85.
