By: Miguel Caramoan
Bryan Sajonia’s stellar first half and a fourth-quarter takeover by Janti Miller propelled San Beda University to a 65-56 victory over Jose Rizal University in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, putting the Red Lions closer to a quarterfinals edge.
The win also allowed San Beda to avenge their narrow 67-66 defeat to the Heavy Bombers in the first round.
Sajonia followed up his impressive outing in their win over Benilde with 18 points on 50% shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Miller contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists – including eight points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for the Red Lions.
“Wala naman, but we trust him that he’s going to make the right decisions. Ang lagi ko lang naman sinasabi sa kanila – if you’re open, keep shooting, and if somebody’s open, just pass that ball,” Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta said on how they manage the team’s talent.
“We have this saying na we want to take the easiest shot possible. Whoever that is, we don’t mind.”
Despite Sajonia’s 16 first-half points on 7-of-9 shooting, JRU kept pace behind Allen Laurenaria’s 10 points off the bench, trailing just 33-29 at halftime.
The third quarter saw a scoring struggle, with both teams missing their first six field goals. A 4-0 mini-spurt by the Heavy Bombers tied the game at 42 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the early stages of the fourth, JRU briefly held a 44-42 lead before San Beda went on an 8-0 run. Back-to-back triples from Jimmy Reyes and RC Calimag capped things off to take a 50-44 advantage with 6:42 left.
The Heavy Bombers kept the game close, with Shawn Argente cutting the deficit to one possession at 59-56 with 1:17 remaining. Miller then responded with two consecutive triples to give San Beda a 65-56 cushion with 25.6 seconds left.
With the win, San Beda remains the solo top seed of Group B at 8-3, with two games remaining in the elimination round.
“We just have to lock in much harder and focus harder, especially as the playoffs is coming in. We want to build that momentum coming into the playoffs and keep getting better lang,” Escueta said on the team’s preparation for the postseason.
The Red Lions will face the EAC Generals on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
JRU fell to 6-6, holding the fourth spot in Group B. Despite Shawn Argente’s 12 points, he shot just 26.7%, while Sean Salvador added eight points on a dismal 20% clip.
“I challenged yung mga guards namin sila Bryan, Nygel, Jimmy, RC, and even Janti – that we have to give our utmost respect to these guys. I have to give to the guards, how they defended itong two shooters na ito,” Escueta said on guarding JRU’s prolific backcourt of Argente and Salvador.
The Heavy Bombers will close out their elimination round against the Benilde Blazers on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
San Beda 65 – Sajonia 18, Miller 16, Reyes 7, Andrada 7, Elle 6, Lina 5, Calimag 3, Vailoces 2, Celzo 1, Gonzales 0, Bonzalida 0, Songcuya 0, Estacio 0, Culdora 0
JRU 56 – Argente 12, Laurenaria 12, Herrera 10, Salvador 8, Penaverde 4, Sarmiento 4, Garupil 3, Castillo 3, Duque 0, Panapanaan 0, Benitez 0, Catapang 0
Quarterscores: 19-18, 33-29, 42-42, 65-56
