University of Perpetual Help System DALTA extended San Sebastian College-Recoletos’ misery, sending the Golden Stags to their 17th consecutive defeat dating back to last season with an 82-75 victory in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Friday.

The loss capped a winless 13-game elimination round campaign for San Sebastian, which has yet to find its footing after also struggling in the previous season.

Perpetual Help, meanwhile, climbed to a 4-8 record, although the Altas had to withstand a late San Sebastian uprising to secure the victory.

The Golden Stags threatened to erase a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, unleashing a 9-1 run that pulled them within four, 75-71, with 2:04 remaining.

But Mark Gojo Cruz put a stop to the rally with a crucial inside basket before Jim Corpuz converted both free throws to restore an eight-point cushion, 79-71, with less than a minute left.

“Fortunately, coach Olsen (Racela) reminded us to always play like underdogs,” said assistant coach Allan Albano, who handled the postgame interview as Racela had to rush to the Smart Araneta Coliseum for Barangay Ginebra’s quarterfinals clash against San Miguel in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup.

“Buti no’ng first quarter, nakalamang kami nang maganda-ganda pero gano’n talaga ang basketball. It’s a game of runs, nagrun kami, nagrun din ang San Sebastian pero buti na lang, nasustain namin sa fourth quarter,” Albano added.

Gojo Cruz led the Altas with 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists, matching Juan Tulabut’s scoring output. LA Casinillo chipped in 14 points.

Niel Castor paced San Sebastian with 18 points, while Ralph Gabat added 15 in the losing effort.

The two teams are set to meet again in the Group B play-in stage, where Perpetual Help will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage.

Before their postseason rematch, however, the Altas still have one elimination round assignment against Arellano University next week.

The Scores:

Perpetual Help 82 – Gojo Cruz 19, Tulabut 19, Casinillo 14, Gelsano 7, Montemayor 5, Roluna 5, Orgo 4, Corpuz 4, Duremdes 2, Cristino 2, Cauguiran 1, Borja 0, Yuhico 0, Maglupay 0

San Sebastian 75 – Castor 18, Gabat 15, Muktimar 8, Salvo 8, Bacani 5, Velasco 5, Cuya 5, Ricio 4, Suico 4, Alforque 3, Segovia 0, Barroga 0, Dimaunahan 0

Quarterscores: 31-14, 47-34, 59-47, 82-75

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Gaskiya College booked their place in the final of the Hoops for Tomorrow tournament after producing a determined fightback to defeat King’s College 18–15 in the opening semi-final encounter.

The closely contested game saw King’s College appear to have the advantage in the early stages, putting pressure on Gaskiya as both sides battled for control.

However, Gaskiya gradually closed the scoring gap and eventually secured a three-point victory to advance to the final scheduled for tomorrow.

The result highlighted the importance of teamwork and defensive discipline, particularly for a Gaskiya side that had to respond to the challenge posed by their opponents before securing the win.

Sport247 reports after the encounter, Gaskiya player Rasheed Taofeek admitted that he had initially expected his team to struggle, but credited the coach’s instructions for helping the players remain focused.

“I thought we would lose the game. But our coach told us that we should play good defence,” Rasheed said.

He further explained that the team had to address its foul problems during the encounter, revealing that the coach encouraged him to remind his teammates to reduce unnecessary fouls.

Rasheed said the players responded by limiting their fouls and improving their defensive approach.

However, Gaskiya’s coach, John Ejikweme, admitted that the team’s performance was below his expectations despite the important victory.

“My boys were supposed to play more than what they played today. They were more coordinated than this. They were more composed than this,” Ejikweme said.

The coach also noted that the players had not played on the court for a long time, which may have affected their adjustment during the encounter.

With the semi-final challenge now behind them, Gaskiya will turn their attention to today’s final, where they will have another opportunity to demonstrate their progress and compete for the Hoops for Tomorrow title.

The post Three Points, One Final Ticket! Gaskiya Fight Back to Send King’s College Packing appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Chris Ross powered the massive third-quarter turnaround to help San Miguel beat Ginebra, 108-102, to force a win-or-go-home Game 5 in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, Friday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The 41-year-old playmaker scattered 20 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and five steals, turning in a vintage performance to spark the fiery 22-0 rally to take the lead for good at 66-61 after being down by as many as 17.

And when the Kings fought back from 19 down and got to within three twice inside the final 2:15, the former BPC fittingly settled the final count with a split with 10.6 ticks left as the Beermen ultimately kept their season alive.

From down 0-2, the ‘Beeracle’ authors have tied the best-of-5 series at two games apiece and sent it to a fifth game on Tuesday in Antipolo.

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