T-Mc Ongotan tallied a triple-double to steer Arellano University to a dominant 92–65 victory over winless Lyceum of the Philippines University, securing solo third place in Group A of the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre.
Ongotan filled the stat sheet with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, leading the Chiefs to a 2–2 record to close out the opening round.
“Wow! Sabi niya sa akin pagkatalo namin last game, ‘Coach, pasensya na. Babawi ako.’ Sabi ko, ‘Walang sorry-sorry dito,’” said Chiefs head coach Chico Manabat about his 5-foot-9 guard from Bulan, Sorsogon.
“May mga gusto pa siyang gawin pero sabi ko relax lang siya at kailangan ng right determination para magawa ‘yun.”
Arellano was coming off a tough 72–67 loss to Perpetual Help last Sunday.
Holding on to a slim 42–40 lead at halftime, the Chiefs tightened their defense and broke the game open in the third quarter. They limited the Pirates to just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting to build a 66–50 advantage heading into the final frame.
The Chiefs then continued their defensive onslaught, holding Lyceum to another poor 4-of-12 clip in the fourth quarter, with their lead ballooning to as many as 27 points, 92–65.
“Siguro ang big adjustment natin yung defense natin. We were not looking for stats, ang importante yung team effort ng mga bata,” said Manabat, a former National University guard.
“Nag-positionless na kami, small ball, so humanap ako ng combination with the help of the coaches. Dun nagsimula ang offense namin — sa defense.”
Renzo Abierra led the scoring for Arellano with 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Anthony Borromeo added 11 points, six boards, and four steals.
The Chiefs will open their crossover round campaign on Friday against the EAC Generals.
Meanwhile, the Pirates, who fell to 0–4, were led by John Barba’s 18 points. Lyceum will try to bounce back when it faces Letran on Saturday.
The Scores:
Arellano 92 – Abiera 16, Ongotan 13, Borromeo 11, Vnoya 9, Hernal 9, Camay 7, Libang 6, Langit 6, Geronimo 4, Valencia 4, Cabotaje 3, Buenaventura 2, Acop 2, Espiritu 0, Miller 0.
Lyceum 65 – Barba 18, Villegas 10, Moralejo 8, Montano 8, Versoza 7, Daileg 4, Aviles 4, Penafiel 2, Aurigue 2, Palingayan 0, Paulo 0, Abregana 0, Reyes 0.
Quarterscores: 18-20, 42-40, 66-50, 92-65.
