By: Miguel Caramoan
Riding a career performance from rookie Sean Salvador, Jose Rizal University opened its crossover play with an impressive 59-46 victory over San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
JRU struggled to find its rhythm early, managing just one field goal from Allan Laurenaria and falling behind 16-8 after the opening quarter.
But the Heavy Bombers’ offense picked up behind the steady play of Yuri Duque and Salvador, who combined for all 15 of the team’s second-quarter points to seize a 25-23 lead over the Golden Stags at halftime.
The 19-year-old Salvador then added 15 more points in the second half, putting the game out of reach and finishing with 22 points, three rebounds, and an assist, including five triples.
“Lagi ko lang naman sinasabi kay [Salvador] na siyempre you need to take the shots na within the system pa rin and wag siyang lalabas don. Siyempre, shooter’s mentality, mayroong times na hindi papasok tira, pero that doesn’t stop him na tumira kasi ayun talaga ang trabaho niya sa amin,” said Heavy Bombers head coach Nani Epondulan.
The NCAA Season 77 MVP also joked that he sees a bit of himself in Salvador.
“Well, parehas kaming swapang and parehas makapal mukha,” he quipped.
Justine Lozano complemented Salvador with 11 points and 3 rebounds, including 8 markers in the pivotal 19-9 third-quarter surge that helped JRU take control.
“Gusto namin most of the time na sila yung magkasabay, so ang ginagawa namin na strategy is one at a time. Pero sa end, silang dalawa pa rin yung tatapos,” Epondulan said on the combination of Salvador and Lozano.
The win gives JRU a firm hold on the third spot in Group B with a 3-2 record.
Despite the victory, the Heavy Bombers were without Shawn Argente, who served a one-game suspension after being ejected for two technical fouls in their previous outing against the Benilde Blazers.
JRU will aim to break the win-loss pattern of their first four games and secure back-to-back victories when they face the red-hot Perpetual Altas on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
For San Sebastian, the loss drops them to 1-4, though they remain fourth in Group A.
No player scored in double figures, and the Golden Stags shot a meager 27.6% from the field.
After averaging 14.3 points in his first four games, Ian Cuajao managed just six points on 25% shooting.
“We’re trying to limit yung mga kalaban namin to 60 points per game. So nung first half, kahit eight points lang na-score namin, good defense pa rin kami,” Epondulan added on their defensive effort.
“Pero ayun nga, nagkakaproblema kami sa offense namin, we need to execute better. So yun yung nagawa namin, na-limit namin sila nung second, third, and fourth quarter.”
San Sebastian will look to bounce back against the EAC Generals on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
Jose Rizal 59 – Salvador 22, Lozano 11, Duque 8, Laurenaria 7, Panapanaan 7, Garupil 2, Sarmiento 2, Benitez 2, Peñaverde 0, Castillo 0, Herrera 0
San Sebastian 46 – Dela Rama 9, Ricio 8, Castor 8, Cuajao 6, Gabat 4, Nepacena 4, Dimaunahan 4, Velasco 2, Cruz 1, Gomez De Liaño 0, Cabilla 0
Quarterscores: 8-16, 25-23, 44-32, 59-46
