San Beda denies JRU to keep perfect slate
MANILA—San Beda leaned on Garvo Lanete’s heroics to salvage them from a resolute Jose Rizal University, 77-69, Wednesday in the 87th NCAA men’s basketball.
Lanete crushed the Bombers with two unnerving triples in the payoff period followed by a dagger of a basket by Rome Dela Rosa as the Red Lions leveled with San Sebastian anew at 8-0 before their awaited clash.
The sharpshooting Lanete outdid his usual numbers as he rang in a game-best 23 points built around five long bombs, the last of which stunned JRU, 70-65, with 4:13 left in the nightcap at the Arena in San Juan.
Burly big man Dave Marcelo pitched in 13 points and plucked eight boards as he stepped up in the absence of suspended Jake Pascual while Dela Rosa added eight points.
Tied at 62-all, Lanete chalked up seven straight markers for the Red Lions and negated the scintillating showing of rookie Byron Villarias who uncorked a triple which led the Heavy Bombers to within a basket.
Clearly vulnerable with the loss of American reinforcement Sudan Daniel to a season-ending injury, San Beda got a backbreaking workout against underperforming JRU as it struggled to assert its usual control and even trailed by as big as 10 points.
The Red Lions were even held spellbound for three-and-half minutes to start the payoff period as the Bombers were able to storm back on back-to-back triples by senior marksman Nate Matute.
But a flagrant foul one called on sparingly used Ronnel Carampil with six minutes to go gave San Beda chance, sparked by Lanete’s fourth triple.
The defending champions did manage to create a nine-point spread on two treys by Lanete at the start of the third quarter, but it was nearly wiped out by the Heavy Bombers with a 10-2 blitz , 47-48.
JRU, who surprisingly has bagged only two victories this season, exploited the seemingly-feeble front line of San Beda with all of the points in that third quarter run coming from the paint.
The Red Lions got a rude awakening and spurred to an 8-0 run of their own when Matute compounded San Beda’s woes with a swishing triple—his first of three—with 2:56 left in the third.
Jeckster Apinan topscored for the Heavy Bombers, who soaked up their fifth loss, with 16 points, while Villarias had 14, Matute added 11 and John Lopez with eight points to boot.
The scores:
SAN BEDA 77—Lanete 23, Marcelo 13, Amer 9, Dela Rosa 8, Pascual 7, D. Semerad 5, Villahermoso 4, Sorela 4, Caram 4, A. Semerad 0, Lim 0.
JRU 69—Apinan 16, Villarias 14, Matute 11, Mendoza 8, Lopez 8, Montemayor 6, Almario 4, Carampil 2, Monserat 0, Gaco 0, Kabigting 0.
Quarters: 17-21, 40-35, 59-52, 77-69
