Lions pick up No. 1 seeding

San Beda’s AC Soberano. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

SAN BEDA nailed the No. 1 seed heading into the Final Four for the 11th straight year, but coach Jamike Jarin insists the Red Lions are at a disadvantage going into the “most important game of the season” in the 92nd NCAA basketball tournament.

AC Soberano came off the bench to fire 26 points in just 23 minutes as the Lions overpowered the Arellano Chiefs, 80-73, last night in their playoff for the top seeding at a jam-packed Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

But as much as Jarin wanted to enter the playoffs on a positive note, the second-year coach feels his team got the short end of the stick in the current format of the tournament.

“You work hard to have that twice-to-beat advantage, then all of a sudden you are in a playoff match where both of you are already twice-to-beat,” said Jarin.

“It doesn’t matter where you were, where you are, the most important game of the season is on Friday.”

The Lions face the Perpetual Help Altas on Friday with a victory just enough to punch their ticket to the championship for the 11th straight season.

The Chiefs tangle with the third-seeded Mapua Cardinals in the Final Four, where they also hold a twice-to-beat advantage.

“It’s good because you always want to go to the playoffs with a win,” said Jarin. “It’s momentum.”

Soberano, the 5-foot-11 sniper from Tarlac City, went 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, sparking several scoring spurts in the second and fourth periods as the Lions continued their mastery of the Chiefs, whom they had beaten twice in the elimination round.

Benedict Adamos and Robert Bolick fired 14 points each while Dan Sara contributed 10 points for the Lions.

Jio Jalalon’s struggles continued as the Chiefs stalwart was held to just 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

“Every loss is a concern,” said Arellano coach Jerry Codiñera. “We got exposed again. Basketball is a game of adjustments. We have to adjust again on Friday.”

The scores:
SAN BEDA 80—Soberano 26, Bolick 14, Adamos 14, Sara 10, Mocon 6, Noah 5, Presbitero 3, Potts 2, Bonsubre 0, Tongco 0, Navarro 0, Oftana 0, Carlos 0.
ARELLANO 73—Jalalon 14, Salado 11, Gumaru 11, Villoria 10, Flores 6, Canete 6, Enriquez 5, Holts 3, Aguilar 3, Meca 2, Cadavis 2, Nicholls 0, Zamora 0, Gupilan 0
Quarters: 23-22, 38-35, 60-59, 80-73