By: Bjorn Del Deade
San Beda University cruised past bottom-ranked Jose Rizal University to move to the verge of securing a spot in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament Final Four, winning 83-70 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Tuesday.
James Payosing scored a season-high 18 points, while Jome Puno tallied a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Together, they helped San Beda tighten its grip on third place with a 9-5 win-loss record.
“Pay and Jom played well. Sabi ko nga yung mga ganitong ball game, eto talaga yung game na talagang they are made for against teams that pressure hard… Creating lanes for them to penetrate, bagay talaga sa kanila yung game na ganito,” Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta said.
Coming off a tough loss to Mapua, San Beda played without Bryan Sajonia, who went down with an injury during practice, and Bismark Lina, who served his suspension.
“I didn’t want to mention that we were undermanned because I had full confidence in the guys that were suited up,” Escueta said. “Sabi ko lang sa kanila, just be smart and execute our game plan.
“Kahit naman sinong maglaro, basta naka-focus kami sa game plan namin, I’m confident na we’d come up with the win.”
After a close first quarter, the Red Lions broke away from an 18-all deadlock, starting a strong 29-13 second frame to maintain the lead through to the final buzzer.
In that quarter, the Red Lions jumped on a 13-2 run, powered by triples from Rc Calimag and James Payosing, plus a jam by Joe Celzo, securing a 15-point cushion by halftime, 46-31.
San Beda maintained its double-digit advantage throughout the third quarter.
Raymundo drilled a jumper to put JRU within 11 with three minutes left in the quarter, 62-51, but the Heavy Bombers couldn’t close the gap.
The Mendiola-based squad uncorked a 7-2 spurt to close out the half and never looked back, 69-53.
Trailing by 19 with six minutes left in the game, 76-57, the Heavy Bombers went on a 13-7 run to cut their deficit to 13, 83-70.
However, JRU failed to capitalize on its second-chance opportunities in the game’s waning moments, eventually yielding to the Red Lions as the game clock expired.
San Beda outclassed JRU in perimeter scoring (45-22) and rebounding (47-37).
The Heavy Bombers made only two of their 18 three-point attempts for a poor 11.1-percent efficiency.
The Red Lions will look to clinch a Final Four berth against the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, who are in fifth place with a 6-7 record, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 11:00 AM.
On the losing side, Shawn Argente’s 16-point effort – together with Guiab’s 13-point performance – couldn’t lift JRU out of the rut.
They remain at the bottom alongside San Sebastian with a 4-10 record.
The Heavy Bombers will look to improve their record on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 PM.
The Scores:
San Beda 83 – Payosing 18, Puno 17, Tagle 9, Calimag 8, Royo 7, Estacio 5, Bonzalida 5, Andrada 5, Celzo 5, Songcuya 2, Culdora 2, Jalbuena 0
Jose Rizal 70 – Argente 16, Guiab 13, Raymundo 9, Bernardo 8, Panapanaan 6, De Leon 4, Sarmiento 4, Barrera 4, Ramos 2, Medina 2, De Jesus 2, Mosqueda 0, Pangilinan 0, Lozano 0
Quarterscores: 17-18, 46-31, 69-53, 83-70
