INQUIRER Sports

SAN SEBASTIAN?S return to its fearsome form couldn?t have come at a better time.

Their season on the line, the Stags came out with all guns ablaze to pummel Jose Rizal University, 79-64, Monday night and clinch a finals berth for the first time in six seasons in the 85th NCAA basketball tournament at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Looking like the team that opened the season with a record 15 straight wins, the Stags used their running game to gain control early and held off the Bombers with their defense.

?The players responded to the challenge,? said the Stags? rookie coach Ato Agustin, whose team lost its twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four after a 65-72 loss to JRU last Friday.

?I could feel their eagerness to win since yesterday. I?m happy they followed the game plan to the letter.?

The Stags, who won back-to-back titles from 2001, battle three-time defending champion San Beda in the best-of-three finals starting Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Lions have won two of their three meetings with the Stags this season.

Calvin Abueva came off the bench to post 18 points and four blocks, while Jimbo Aquino, back after a suspension, finished with 14.

The Stags caught the Bombers flatfooted in the first 10 minutes. Triples by Anthony Del Rio and Aquino set off a 25-4 burst, including a span of 19 unanswered points for the Stags, who erected 21-point leads four times.

The scores:
SAN SEBASTIAN 79?Abueva 18, Aquino 14, Najorda 9, Sangalang 8, Pascual 8, Del Rio 8, Bulawan 7, Raymundo 5, Gatchalian 2, Semira 6, Maconocido 0.

JRU 64?Sena 13, Agas 9, Cagoco 8, Hayes 8, Wilson 8, Njei 4, Lopez 4, Etame 4, Apinan 2, Kabigting 2, Bulangis 2, Gabriel 0.

Quarters: 29-8, 44-28, 64-44, 79-64