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.

San Beda University moved closer to securing a twice-to-beat advantage in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament quarterfinals after fending off a late rally from Lyceum of the Philippines University, 71-65, on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

The defending champions extended their winning streak to four games, improving to a 9-3 record and drawing level with José Rizal University at the top of Group A to remain firmly in contention for the crucial quarterfinal incentive.

The Red Lions also now hold the longest active winning streak in the league.

“I think in the fourth quarter, we displayed our identity in our defense and our rebounding. The game is all about possession, so it’s still about being able to stick together as a team and close out and get that win,” said Dan Marcelo, who finished with a season-high 22 points.

Despite entering the second half trailing, San Beda fought its way back, pulling even at 36-all behind Bismarck Lina before Marcelo and Aldous Torculas sparked a 13-2 run to seize a 49-38 lead.

Lyceum refused to back down, but Torculas’ free throws helped the Red Lions maintain a 53-47 advantage heading into the final quarter.

San Beda stretched its lead to double digits in the fourth before back-to-back triples from Khen Caduyac brought the Pirates within striking distance, 65-60, with 2:41 remaining.

Mclaude Guadaña further trimmed the deficit to just two points, 67-65, with a clutch triple down the stretch, putting the defending champions under pressure.

However, Zed Etulle sank a free throw to restore a two-possession cushion. Andrei Ugaddan and Etulle then each split their trips to the charity stripe to give San Beda a 70-65 lead, forcing Lyceum to foul in the closing seconds.

Kyle Jamora sealed the victory at the free-throw line as the Red Lions survived the Pirates’ late rally to claim their fourth consecutive win.

“We had a sluggish first half, so that led to me hitting shots and being able to facilitate, get my teammates open shots. Just being able to do the little things that our team needed,” Marcelo added, after also tallying six assists and four steals.

Torculas contributed 17 points and nine rebounds for San Beda, while Lina chipped in nine points and 14 rebounds.

San Beda will close out the elimination round with a rematch against College of Saint Benilde on November 10 at the same venue, where it will look to formalize its bid for the twice-to-beat advantage.

Meanwhile, Lyceum, which had already secured a place in the play-in round, dropped to 4-7 and saw its hopes of claiming a twice-to-beat advantage disappear. The Pirates are now locked into fifth place regardless of the outcome of their final elimination-round assignment.

Matthew Rubico paced LPU with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with five assists, while Jonathan Daileg added 11 points in the losing effort.

The Pirates will wrap up their campaign against their eventual play-in opponents, Mapúa University, on November 9 at the PhilSports Arena.

The Scores:

San Beda 71 — Marcelo 22, Torculas 17, Lina 9, Puno 8, Jamora 4, Etulle 4, Ugaddan 3, Calimag 3, Sarigumba 1, Bonzalida 0, Reyes 0, Estacio 0, Jalbuena 0, Efron 0, Hawkins 0.

Lyceum 65 — Rubico 14, Daileg 11, Guadaña 9, Ondoa 7, Caduyac 6, Villegas 6, Matienzo 4, Peñafiel 3, Fuentes 3, Manuel 2, Aurigue 0, Panelo 0, Pallingayan 0, Cardinas 0, Nocum 0.

Quarterscores: 20-9, 31-33, 53-47, 71-65.

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