Jalalon sparks Arellano’s fifth straight win

Jiovani Jalalon with 33 points and 10 assists. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Arellano University recovered from a slow start and slipped past San Sebastian, 89-84, for its fifth straight win in the NCAA Season 92 men’s basketball tournament Tuesday at Filoil Flying Centre in San Juan.

Jiovani Jalalon endured a nasty spill late in the third quarter to push the Chiefs through a neck-and-neck endgame with 33 points and 10 assists.

“The players were a bit overconfident,” admitted Arellano head coach Jerry Codiñera. “We’re coming off a 10-day break and the game is really different. Plus, four, five days grabe moisture sa gym namin di kami makatakbo ng full court.”

“But no excuses for us,” he added.

Jalalon hit the back of his head after scoring on a contested layup at the 1:41 mark of the third quarter and had to leave the game momentarily to get treatment.

He returned with 8:21 left in the game and went back to work.

The Stags faced several double-digit leads in the second half and somehow pushed the Chiefs to their limit with Ryan Costelo and Regille Ilagan standing their ground against one of the best backcourts in the league in Jalalon and Salado.

Costelo scored 24 points, including a turnaround jumper that tied the game at 77 with 2:46 remaining, while Ilagan added 14 points and six assists.

Clinging to an 83-81 lead with under a minute left, Dioncee Holts got Arellano out of harm’s way with a three-point play off a put back with 41 seconds to go.

Holts just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

The Stags, who were without their head coach Egay Macaraya, put up a valiant effort that eventually went down the drain as they dropped their ninth loss in a row after starting the season with a victory.