Ralph Gabat’s clutch and-one capped San Sebastian College-Recoletos’ furious fourth-quarter rally, securing a come-from-behind 95-93 victory over season host Lyceum of the Philippines University in the NCAA Season 100 seniors basketball tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The Stags had held the Pirates at arm’s length for most of the match, but Lyceum launched a late surge to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
San Sebastian fell behind by as much as 10 points, 83-93, after a Vince Cunanan jumper with just 1:23 remaining.
With the game seemingly slipping away, first-year head coach Arvin Bonleon rallied his Stags to lock in defensively.
Their intense pressure forced turnovers, creating fastbreak opportunities that fueled a furious comeback.
San Sebastian’s defensive stand sparked a 12-0 run, culminating in a pivotal steal by Tristan Felebrico.
The ball found its way to Lauren Gabat, who finished an and-1 fastbreak layup with 44 seconds left, giving the Stags a 94-93 lead. Shortly after, Raymart Escobido sealed the game with a free throw, capping the 95-93 victory.
Bonleon praised his squad for their resilience, never backing down despite the double-digit deficit late in the game.
“I always remind the boys na up to the last seconds hindi kami maggigive-up, until the last buzzer. We take every game as a championship. Walang bukas, pahinga tayo bukas win or lose laro muna para sa Baste. Para ibalik ang glory ng Baste,” Bonleon said.
Paeng Are continued his stellar start to NCAA Season 100 with a near triple-double, posting 25 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds.
His backcourt partner, Raymart Escobido, was equally impressive, contributing 23 points.
Tristan Felebrico also had a standout performance, recording a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Leonard Velasco added 12 points and eight boards.
The win lifts the Stags to a 2-0 record, tying them with the College of Saint Benilde Blazers for first place in the standings.
San Sebastian will next face defending champions San Beda University on Saturday at 11:00 AM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
On the other side, John Barba had a career night for Lyceum, tallying 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
JM Bravo also put up 13 points before being stretchered out with a back injury. Mclaude Guadana and Neil Moralejo added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Pirates, now 0-2, will seek their first win against the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers on Sunday at 12:00 noon, also at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
San Sebastian 95 – Are 25, Escobido 23, Felebrico 14, Velasco 12, R Gabat 6, L Gabat 6, Aguilar 3, Suico 2, Ricio 2, Lintol 2, Pascual 0, Barroga 0, Maliwat 0
Lyceum 93 – Barba 25, Bravo 13, Guadana 12, Moralejo 10, Cunanan 8, Montano 7, Daileg 6, Villegas 6, Panelo 5, Gordon 1, Penafiel 0, Aviles 0, Paulo 0
Quarterscores: 30-30, 50-50, 74-68, 95-93
