MANILA, Philippines—San Beda showed it can handle San Sebastian’s best punches Wednesday and completed a sweep of the first round of the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at the jampacked FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
American recruit Sudan Daniel dominated the paint with 14 points and 19 rebounds and the Red Lions got big shots from veterans Jake Pascual and Borgie Hermida in the clutch to score an 88-76 victory in their first meeting since their memorable championship duel last year.
Bullied by the Stags in last season’s finals, the Red Lions were up to the task this time as they took San Sebastian out of its rhythm with its defense and controlled the game from start to finish before a sellout crowd of 6,000.
The Lions bloated an eight-point halftime lead to 18 late in the third period and Pascual and Hermida responded when the Stags mounted a rally in the fourth period that cut the lead to seven three times.
“My players battled,” said San Beda coach Frankie Lim. “One thing nice about the team tonight is we came in well-prepared and we expected the worse. We made stops and we stopped people.”
Daniel delivered the perfect response from all the roughhousing he received from the Stags, dunking with authority to restore the Lions’ 10-point advantage with 1:06 remaining.
“They were losing but you don’t do that,” said Lim referring to the two hits on Daniel’s groin when the outcome was already settled. “You should, at least, show some class.”
The Lions and Stags fought tooth and nail in the first quarter before San Beda seized the advantage, 36-21, after its second unit led by Jess Villahermosa went on an 11-4 tear in the first five minutes of the second period.
San Sebastian’s woes continued in the third period when starting point guard Pamboy Raymundo, struggling because of Rome dela Rosa’s defense, suffered cramps.
Earlier, Jose Rizal turned back Mapua, 61-54, to end the first round at solo third place with a 6-2 record.
San Beda’s Red Cubs nipped the Staglets, 84-80, to finish with a pacesetting 7-1 mark at the end of the first round. Jose Rizal improved to 6-2 after slipping past Mapua, 82-78, in overtime in the other juniors match.
First Game (Seniors)
JOSE RIZAL 61—Hayes 12, Almario 12, Kabigting 12, Apinan 7, Matute 6, Etame 6, J. Lopez 2, Bulangis 2, Montemayor 2, Badua 0, Njei 0
MAPUA 54—Pascual 13, Mangahas 10, Cornejo 9, Acosta 6, Sarangay 5, Guillermo 4, Parala 4, Banal 3, Stevens 0, Ranises 0
Quarters: 18-12, 27-24, 43-33, 61-54
Second Game (Seniors)
SAN BEDA 88—Daniel 14, Hermida 13, Pascual 11, dela Rosa 11, Lanete 11, Marcelo 9, Villahermosa 7, D. Semerad 6, A. Semerad 4, Mendoza 2, Pascual 0
SAN SEBASTIAN 76—Abueva 18, Pascual 16, Maconocido 15, Semira 8, Raymundo 8, Sangalang 4, Gorospe 3, Bulawan 2, Najorda 2
Quarters: 25-17, 39-31, 66-49, 88-76
JOSE RIZAL 61—Hayes 12, Almario 12, Kabigting 12, Apinan 7, Matute 6, Etame 6, J. Lopez 2, Bulangis 2, Montemayor 2, Badua 0, Njei 0
MAPUA 54—Pascual 13, Mangahas 10, Cornejo 9, Acosta 6, Sarangay 5, Guillermo 4, Parala 4, Banal 3, Stevens 0, Ranises 0
Quarters: 18-12, 27-24, 43-33, 61-54
Second Game (Seniors)
SAN BEDA 88—Daniel 14, Hermida 13, Pascual 11, dela Rosa 11, Lanete 11, Marcelo 9, Villahermosa 7, D. Semerad 6, A. Semerad 4, Mendoza 2, Pascual 0
SAN SEBASTIAN 76—Abueva 18, Pascual 16, Maconocido 15, Semira 8, Raymundo 8, Sangalang 4, Gorospe 3, Bulawan 2, Najorda 2
Quarters: 25-17, 39-31, 66-49, 88-76
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