By: Jerod Orcullo
Malayan High School pulled off a stunning comeback against defending champion Colegio de San Juan de Letran, securing an 81-73 overtime victory to earn its first win in the NCAA Season 100 Juniors Basketball Tournament, Wednesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Trailing by as many as 15 points at halftime, the Red Robins clawed their way back with a blistering three-point barrage, capped off by a deep 30-foot triple from Ruzzel Del Poso that forced the game into overtime.
With the momentum on their side, the Red Robins shut down Letran in the extra period. They limited the Squires to just five points while scoring 13 of their own to complete the comeback.
“We were more than ready for this season, kailangan lang nila gawin is to check yung execution and also sa defense, kailangan lang stick tayo sa system,” shared newly-minted Red Robins head coach John Ross Dela Cruz.
Del Poso exploded for 31 points, knocking down nine triples in a breakout performance.
He previously had just six points in their season-opening loss to the Junior Altas.
Sean Salvador delivered a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Yuri Duque contributed 11 points.
Froilan Reyes also played a crucial role, hauling down a game-high 11 boards on top of seven points.
In the first game of the day, Jose Rizal University eked out a gritty 67-64 victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University, notching its first win of the season.
James Almario led the Light Bombers with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
AJ Lacusong rebounded from a scoreless outing in their previous game, finishing with 12 points and eight boards, while Lee Marin chipped in 12 despite a rough 3-of-16 shooting night.
JRU shot 21-of-70 from the field (30.0%), while Lyceum posted a more efficient 37.9%.
However, turnovers proved to be the deciding factor, with the Junior Pirates committing 21 — more than double JRU’s 10.
Crucial giveaways in the final two minutes prevented Lyceum from executing plays out of timeouts.
“Napakalaking blessing nito para sa team namin. Since I became head coach, we only had limited time to practice. Na-appoint kasi ako noong January na, so two weeks practice lang,” said newly appointed JRU head coach Nani Epondulan.
For Letran, seniors Daniel Padilla and Syrex Silorio led the way with 18 and 17 points, respectively.
Lamarcus Pelayo paced Lyceum with 28 points and seven assists, while Cleafford Dag-um added 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The Scores:
First Game
JRU 67 – Almario 16, Marin 12, Lacusong 12, Taparan 8, Callueng 5, Castillo 4, To 3, Ferrer 3, Abequibel 2, Pinzon 2, Tolworthy 0, Satparam 0, Quillban 0.
LPU 64 – Pelayo 28, Dag-um 12, Julio 9, Creus 5, Panerio 4, Abrantes 4, Conde 1, Pena 1, Poli 0, Mercado 0, Enguio 0, Melchor 0.
Quarterscores: 18-18, 38-44, 53-52, 67-64.
Second Game
MHSS 81 – Del Poso 31, Salvador 15, Duque 11, Reyes 7, Laurenaria 6, Catapang 4, Bagro 2, Banal 2, Rodriguez 2, Dimafelix 1, Miranda 0, Tagocon 0, Loriaga 0, Coronel 0, Bernabe 0.
CSJL 73 – Padilla 18, Silorio 17, Cruz 11, Dela Rama 8, Reyes 6, Cargo 4, Hugo 3, Valdeavilla 2, Villanueva 2, Quijada 1, Alforque 1, Quinones 0, Lumague 0, Magcale 0.
Quarterscores: 17-21, 30-45, 49-58, 68-68, 81-73.
