CAMEROONIAN Rodrigue Ebondo erupted for 11 points and 13 rebounds as Centro Escolar thwarted defending titlist St. Clare, 67-59, yesterday and squared their National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (Naascu) men’s basketball best-of-three title series at Makati Coliseum.
The 6-foot-4 Ebondo imposed himself in the shaded area and helped create mismatches for his teammates as the Scorpions sustained their assault from the first buzzer to nail the win.
St. Clare drew first blood in Game 1 with a 70-68 victory last Wednesday.
The Scorpions will try to match the feat of their women’s counterparts who clinched the championship yesterday by sweeping Rizal Technological University, 76-32.
CEU is in position to make it a three-title sweep after its juniors squad downed Fatima, 71-61, to knot their own finals series at 1-1.
Coach Egay Macaraya gave credit to Ebondo but said it was the team’s fighting heart that allowed them to extend the series to a decider on Monday, also at Makati Coliseum.
Jason Opiso led the Scorpions with 13 points on top of seven rebounds, with Samboy de Leon accounting for 10 points and five rebounds. Joseph Sedurifa chipped in 10 points for the victors, who stormed to a 17-8 first-quarter lead and never looked back.
Yet the most telling difference was the 30 points the Scorpions got off the bench—compared to 16 for the Saints—through Opiso, Aaron Jeruta and Carmelito Banua.
Elmer Managuelod paced St. Clare with 21 points and drew 14 from sixth man Mark Robin Dulalia but failed to get the usual numbers from starters Jayson Ibay, Marte Gil, Jam Jamito and Dennis Santos. Marc Anthony Reyes
The seniors scores:
CENTRO 67—Opiso 13, Rodrigue 11, De Leon 10, Sedurifa 10, Jeruta 6, Abundo 6, Banua 5, Batino 4, Celso 2, Magbitang 0, Pagkatipunan 0.
ST CLARE 59—Managuelod 21, Dulalia 14, Ibay 9, Gil 7, Jamito 6, Ambulodto 0, Rait 0, Santos 0, Lunor 0, Cruz 0.
Quarters: 17-8, 37-26, 54-45, 67-59