The road to REDemption continues!
The San Beda College Red Lions remain the only unbeaten in the NCAA Season 92 Seniors Basketball Tournament after a dominant 88-70 win over the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Altas, Tuesday afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
Donald Tankoua led the Red Lions for the second straight game. The Cameroonian student-athlete notched a double-double, with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds.
“I just have to give credit to Donald,” San Beda head coach Jamike Jarin said about his big man. “Let’s face it, Bright Akhuetie and Prince Eze are really good.”
Akhuetie put up 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in the game. However, the 19-year-old was limited to just 16 minutes of game time due to a collision of knees between him and a San Beda player during the third frame.
On the other hand, Eze was limited to just two points.
“I told him that he needs to outplay one of them. He outplayed both. That’s overachieving and he did not even ask for the ball,” Jarin added. “He’s a diamond in the rough.”
After a close first quarter, last season’s runners-up surged ahead in the second frame through nine markers from Tankoua.
The blistering pace with which San Beda played further torched the Altas in the third frame, as a triple by Calvin Optana gave San Beda an imposing 65-46 lead with a minute to go in the quarter.
The Altas, behind Gab Dagangon and AJ Coronel, were able to cut the once-20 point lead to just 13, 72-59, with 4:19 remaining in the game. However, a string of careless turnovers by the Altas led to triples by AC Soberano to extend San Beda’s lead once more.
Soberano finished the game with 15 points, all from downtown. Robert Bolick added 12 markers.
“Well if you look at the brackets, even as of right now, everyone’s stacked up,” said Jarin about the solo lead San Beda have as of this moment. “If you win one, you go up. Lose on, you go down. It’s still too early.”
Gab Dagangon led Perpetual with 14 points on 6-for-15 shooting from the field, and grabbed eight rebounds.
As a team, the Altas shot a dismal 38 percent from the field compared to 43 percent from the victors. Moreover, the Red Lions knocked down 11 three-pointers in the game.
The San Beda Red Lions (5-0) look to keep their streak intact as they face recent rivals Arellano Chiefs (4-1) on Friday, July 22 at 4:00pm. The Perpetual Altas (2-2) take on the Letran Knights on the same day at 12:00nn.
The Scores:
SBC (88) – Tankoua 20, Soberano 15, Bolick 12, Potts 9, Tongco 8, Mocon 7, Presbitero 6, Oftana 5, Carlos 4, Alas 2, Noah 0, Bonsubre 0, Navarro 0, Adamos 0, Sara 0.
UPHSD (70) – Dagangon 14, Dizon 13, Akhuetie 13, Coronel 12, Pido 9, Singontiko 3, Yuhico 2, Eze 2, Cabiltes 2, Hao 0, Gallardo 0.
NCAA Se 25-22, 45-35, 65-49, 88-70.
