San Sebastian College-Recoletos extinguished the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament Final Four hopes of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA with an 83-72 stunner on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Stags fell to the Altas 52-60 in their first-round matchup, but they exacted their revenge in the second round.
Baste struggled early, allowing Perpetual to build a 12-point lead in the first quarter, 7-19, after a layup from Christian Pagaran.
However, Golden Stags head coach Arvin Bonleon refused to let his team back down. Entering the second quarter with renewed energy on both ends of the court, they held the Altas to just a single field goal, forcing Perpetual to shoot a cold 1-of-9 from the field.
The Stags outscored Perpetual 25-7 in the second quarter, seizing control of the game and never looking back. San Sebastian’s lead swelled to as much as 19 points in the third period, 54-35, following a three-pointer from Paeng Are with 5:13 on the clock.
San Sebastian maintained their hold over the Altas in the fourth quarter, cruising to an 83-72 victory.
Tristan Felebrico delivered a standout performance for Baste, posting a game-high 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Reggz Gabat and Raymart Escobido added 15 and 14 points, respectively, while Paeng Are chipped in 12 points.
Coach Bonleon expressed pride in his team’s performance, even though they were already out of Final Four contention, hoping his seniors could build their confidence in San Sebastian’s remaining games.
“Sinabi ko lang sa kanila mag-enjoy tayo ng last three games natin,” said Bonleon, “then para may baon si Escobido and Reggz Gabat sa paglabas nila para in case they’re going to try out sa mga commercials or MPBL or whatever team, meron silang dala-dalang kumpiyansa.”
San Sebastian’s Final Four chances have long passed, with a 5-11 record putting them ninth in the standings. They now turn their attention to second-seeded Mapua University, whom they’ll face on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
Christian Pagaran’s 16 points off the bench couldn’t ignite enough firepower for Perpetual, while Mark Gojo Cruz and Henry Montemayor contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Perpetual has now lost five of its last six second-round games, bowing out of the Final Four race with a 6-11 record.
They hope to end their season on a positive note in their final game against Jose Rizal University on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
The Scores:
San Sebastian 83 – Felebrico 18, R. Gabat 15, Escobido 14, Are 12, L. Gabat 4, Aguilar 3, Pascual 3, Cruz 3, Ramilo 3, Velasco 2, Lintol 2, Suico 2, Ricio 2, Maliwat 0, Barroga 0
Perpetual Help 72 – Pagaran 16, Gojo Cruz 14, Montemayor 10, Manuel 8, Pizarro 8, Abis 7, Boral 5, Gelsano 2, Nuñez 1, Sevilla 1, Thompson 0, Danag 0
Quarterscores: 16-24, 41-31, 63-52, 83-72
