Red Cubs get 8-peat bid going with rout of Squires

San Beda drew strength from a massive second half attack as it squashed a listless Letran, 107-74, Monday to jumpstart its quest for an eight-peat feat in the 92nd NCAA high school basketball tournament at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Up by just a single digit in the first half, the Cubs went on a scoring spree as Joshua Tagala, Evan Nelle and Carlo Obienza took turns in taking the fight out of the Squires and handing their team the lopsided triumph.

Tagala had game-highs 19 points and seven steals, Nelle 17 points, eight assists and six steals and Obienza 16 points including three booming triples for San Beda.

While San Beda’s eyes are on title No. 8, coach JB Sison isn’t about to rush things up for his young wards.

“We’re not pressuring ourselves that much. Our goal is to win one game at a time and see wait for what happens next,” said Sison.

The Cubs defeated the Arellano U Junior Chiefs in the finals that went the full, three-game route a year ago and could have swept the season if not for that painful 68-72 defeat in Game 2.

The seven-peat feat was the longest in the history of the league and San Beda will have an opportunity to extend it to another season if it could win again this year.

Earlier, Malayan-Mapua, which finished No. 2 the eliminations with a 16-2 (win-loss) record before getting ambushed by Arellano in the stepladder semis, crushed Jose Rizal, 86-64, to seize an early share of the lead.

Romuel Junsay paced his team with 15 points while Bryan Samudo, Warren Bonifacio, Brian Lacap and Sherwin Concepcion added 14, 11, 10 and 10, respectively, for the Randy Alcantara-mentored Red Robins.

The scores:

First Game

MAPUA 86 – Junsay 15, Samudio 14, Bonifacio 11, Concepcion 10, Lacap 10, Escamis 9, Salenga 7, Gozum 5, Dagta 2, Garcia 2, Andaya 1, Arcangel 0, Caso 0.

JRU 64 – Tolentino 13, Baliad 8, Buno 7, Camua 7, Guzman 7, Berwite 6, Sicat 5, Sta. Maria 5, Torre 4, Caballero 2, Agustin 0, J. Guzman 0, Principe 0.

Quarters: 22-11, 46-33, 67-57, 86-64.

Second Game

SAN BEDA 107 – Tagala 19, Nelle 17, Obenza 16, Velasquez 11, Hijle 9, Nayve 9, Mahinay 8, Dela Rosa 6, Etrata 5, Barbero 4, Alfaro 2, Garcia 1, Bonalos 0, Sese 0.

LETRAN 74 – Tamayo 16, David 8, Reyson 8, Labrador 7, Boffa 6, De Loyola 6, Dolendo 6, E. Villanueva 5, M. Villanueva 4, Barnachea 2, Cordero 2, Montes 2, Guarino 1, Monje 1, Julian Culanay 0.

Quarters: 25-24, 53-44, 82-63, 107-74