San Beda University held off a late rally from the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, securing a narrow 63-62 victory in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Following an impressive performance on both ends of the court in the third quarter, the reigning champion Red Lions built a lead as large as 11 points in the fourth frame.
They went up 60-49 after a pair of free throws from Jomel Puno with 8:42 left on the game clock.
However, head coach Yuri Escueta’s squad struggled to execute their offense down the stretch, scoring just three points in the final eight minutes as the Altas mounted a comeback.
A 13-3 run capped by a three-pointer from Cedrick Abis cut the Red Lions’ lead to just a single point, 63-62, with a minute and 45 seconds remaining.
With seven seconds left, San Beda’s Oliver Tagle found himself surrounded by multiple Perpetual defenders. He turned the ball over to Shawn Orgo, who passed to JP Boral, wide open on the other end.
Boral’s corner three-pointer bounced off the side of the rim as time expired, allowing San Beda to escape with the win.
Puno continued his outstanding play late in the first round, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds against the Altas. This performance followed his career-best 22-point outing against Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
“I just tried to take in the momentum from last game. Like I said before, I just want to stay confident, but most importantly, stay consistent,” said the 6-foot-5 Filipino-Canadian wing.
“Just like last year, I kind of got my game going near the end of the first round, so hopefully I can continue that and leave it off to my teammates for our last game in the first round.”
Yukien Andrada added 11 points, while RC Calimag contributed 10 points off the bench.
With the victory, the Red Lions improved to a 5-3 record, securing control of the third spot in the standings alongside rivals Letran, whom they defeated in their previous matchup.
The defending champions will conclude the first round with a finals rematch against Mapua University on Tuesday at 2:30 PM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Shawn Orgo flirted with a triple-double for Perpetual, scoring 10 points, dishing out 10 assists, and grabbing nine rebounds.
Cedrick Abis was the team’s leading scorer with 14 points, while rookie Mark Gojo Cruz added 10 points.
The Altas, on the other hand, ended their first-round stint with their third straight loss, dropping to a 4-5 record for sixth in the standings.
The Scores:
San Beda 63 – Puno 16, Andrada 11, RC Calimag 10, Gonzales 6, Sajonia 6, Estacio 6, Songcuya 4, Royo 3, Celzo 1, Payosing 0, Tagle 0, Lina 0, Bonzalida 0
Perpetual Help 62 – Abis 14, Orgo 10, Gojo Cruz 10, Pagaran 8, Boral 6, Nunez 4, Gelsano 3, Montemayor 3, Manuel 2, Caguiran 2, Pizarro 0
Quarterscores: 13-13, 33-35, 56-48. 63-62
