Generals, Chiefs crash win column

Wilmar Oftana —NCAA PHOTO

There was no room for panic.

After stumbling out of the gate, both Arellano University and Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) responded with gritty bounce-back wins in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday—one emphatic, the other just enough.

The Arellano Chiefs showed little hesitation in dismantling San Sebastian, 82-66, at the San Juan Arena. Renzo Abiera orchestrated a flawless outing, scoring 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting clip.

“What’s beautiful here is that every player and every coach is doing the work,” said coach Chico Manabat. “Sometimes, it’s not about how many wins you get but about winning the right way—and at the right time.”

Arellano’s dominance was a statement of intent. After falling to defending champion Mapua in their opener, the Chiefs refused to fall into a dangerous 0-2 hole. Instead, they made the most of their offensive flow, turning a tight first quarter into a comfortable cushion by halftime.

On the other side of the bracket, EAC didn’t have the same luxury of separation. The Generals had to sweat out a tight finish against Jose Rizal University, escaping with a 68-65 win that came down to one shot—and one steady hand.

With 1:25 left and the score knotted at 65, Nico Quinal buried a cold-blooded triple that held up as the game-winner. He finished with 10 points, but none bigger than the final three.

“I reminded the boys that if we lost this game, it would be hard for us to reach our short-term goal of landing in the top two of our bracket,” said coach Jerson Cabiltes.

Wilmar Oftana and Oman Omandac added 13 and 10 points, respectively.—INQUIRER SPORTS STAFF