Jalalon, Chiefs down Altas

Arellano University’s Jio Jalalon dribbles past his defender during the Chiefs’ win over the Perpetual Help Altas on Sunday, June 26, 2016, at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Arellano University took the high road to begin its campaign in the NCAA Season 92 men’s basketball tournament, edging University of Perpetual Help, 83-78, Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Things started slow for the Chiefs as they finished the third quarter in a deadlock at 64 with the Altas, but it was in the latter half of the fourth quarter when Arellano began heating up.

After a 73-73 tie, the Chiefs broke the game open with a 10-3 run, including a layup by Kent Salado over the hulking Prince Eze for an 83-76 lead at the 1:21 mark.

Chiefs head coach Jerry Codiñera acknowledged his team still has “first game jitters” and he was thankful their defense worked in the final period that subsequently fuelled their offense.

“It started with defense, there are games kasi dati na kahit bad defense kami, because of shooting, nawawala yung mga mistakes sa depensa,” said Codiñera, whose team finished in the upper half of the NCAA last season in points per game.

Before the Chiefs’ 10-3 run, Dioncee Holts had two blocks on Eze underneath and one of those led to Jio Jalalon’s transition basket that gave Arellano a 72-69 lead.

“You have to do it technically, you really have to be specific about the problem.”

Jalalon went aggressive on offense scoring 25 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists to lead the Chiefs while Salado added 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Lervin Flores, who played his first game in the NCAA, had a near double-double of eight points and 13 rebounds.

Gab Dagangon led Perpetual Help, which missed the services of Bright Akhuetie due to a knee injury, with 17 points and 15 rebounds while Eze produced his own line of 12 points and 15 boards.

The scores:

ARELLANO 83 – Jalalon 25, Salado 14, Holts 9, Flores 8, Nicholls 6, Gumaru 6, Canete 6, Meca 2, Cadavis 2, Alcoriza 2, Gupilan 2, Enriquez 1, Aguilar 0, Villoria 0.

PERPETUAL HELP 78 – Dagangon 17, Eze 12, Dizon 12, Pido 8, Singontiko 8, Hao 6, Cabiltes 6, Sadiwa 5, Gallardo 4, Coronel 0.

Quarterscores: 25-24, 45-46, 64-64, 83-78.