NCAA: Paeng Are lifts San Sebastian past Letran; EAC outlasts Arellano in OT
MANILA, Philippines – Paeng Are wasted no time making a mark in the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament as he willed the San Sebastian Stags to a 91-84 come-from-behind win against the Letran Knights at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Sunday, September 8.
The 5-foot-9 spitfire guard Are went off for 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including an efficient 11-of-13 clip from the foul line, to propel San Sebastian to a blazing 1-0 start to the season despite trailing big early in the fourth quarter.
The Stags were down by as many as 14 points with 9:40 remaining in the final frame, 63-77, before they staged a massive 15-2 run to move within just a single point, 78-79, with still 3:50 to go.
With momentum on their side, Are finally put the Stags on top, 82-81, off a strong finish at the 2:35 mark of the fourth period.
Are then continued to make things happen for San Sebastian late as he found a wide-open Tristan Felebrico inside for an easy basket which gave the Stags an 84-81 edge.
The Stags’ furious rally did not stop there as Harold Ricio, Are, Reggz Gabat, and Felebrico combined for 7 more points to extend their lead to its largest at 91-81 with only 1:01 left to play.
Are also tallied team-highs of 6 rebounds and 6 assists for the Stags, who outscored the Knights, 28-9, in the fourth quarter.
Ricio and Felebrico added 14 points each, while Raymart Escobido also reached double-digit scoring for San Sebastian with 13, but shot a horrific 6-of-25 clip from the field.
On the other side, Kobe Monje and James Jumao-as paced Letran with 16 points apiece, while former St. Clare star Jimboy Estrada had 14 markers, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in his NCAA debut with the Knights.
Letran – coached by first-year tactician Allen Ricardo – played without its top big man Pao Javillonar, who is serving a two-game suspension due to his participation at the 39th Kadayawan invitational Basketball Tournament in Davao with PBA team Converge FiberXers back in July.
Like the Stags, the EAC Generals got off to a sizzling start in Season 100 as they survived the Arellano Chiefs in an overtime thriller, 87-80.
King Gurtiza showed the way for EAC with 18 points, none bigger than his back-to-back buckets midway through the extra period that gave the Generals a decisive 82-79 advantage, which they held onto the rest of the way.
With Arellano holding a two-possession, 75-71 lead with under a minute left in regulation, EAC’s Wilmar Oftana and Gil Quinal sank back-to-back treys to put the Generals in the driver’s seat with just 9 seconds left, 77-75.
Maverick Vinoya, however, tied the game for the Chiefs at 77-all, off a tough layup with 4.8 seconds remaining.
Quinal had a chance to win it for EAC in the final possession of the fourth, but his teardrop fell short as time expired.
Luckily for the Generals, Gurtiza took over late as he unloaded 6 of his team-high 18 points in overtime.
Former UE Red Warriors standout Harvey Pagsanjan backstopped Gurtiza with a near double-double of 13 points and 9 rebounds in his first NCAA game for the Generals.
Meanwhile, Lorenz Capulong carried the fight for the Chiefs with a double-double of 18 markers and 13 boards.
The Scores
First Game
San Sebastian 91 – Are 30, Ricio 14, Felebrico 14, Escobido 13, Gabat, R. 8, Velasco 4, Gabat, L. 4, Aguilar 2, Barroga 2, Maliwat 0, Suico 0, Lintol 0, Pascual 0.
Letran 84 – Monje 16, Jumao-as 16, Estrada 14, Montecillo 9, Santos 7, Go 7, Dimaano 6, Cuajao 5, Galoy 4, Delfino 0, Nunag 0, Pradella 0, Baliling 0.
Quarters: 24-30, 48-52, 63-75, 91-84.
Second Game
EAC 87 – Gurtiza 18, Pagsanjan 13, Lucero 11, Quinal 9, Oftana 9, Doromal 8, Ochavo 7, Loristo 4, Manacho 4, Angeles 2, Bagay 2, Luciano 0, Umpad 0, Bacud 0.
Arellano 80 – Capulong 18, Valencia 16, Vinoya 13, Ongotan 10, Hernal 5, Acop 5, Camay 5, De Leon 4, Estacio 2, Miller 2, Borromeo 0, Espiritu 0, Dela Cruz 0, Libang 0, Geronimo 0.
Quarters: 24-17, 46-38, 60-59, 77-77 (reg.), 87-80 (OT).
– Rappler.com