MANILA – The University of Perpetual Help Altas showcased championship poise under pressure, erasing an eight-point deficit in the final minutes before Mark Gojo Cruz drilled the decisive jumper to seal a dramatic 75-73 victory over the College of St. Benilde Blazers in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at the Playtime FilOil Center in San Juan.
With the Altas trailing 62-70 midway through the fourth quarter, Gojo Cruz orchestrated a furious 11-0 rally alongside John Abis and Jearico Nuñez to give Perpetual a 73-70 lead. St. Benilde’s Ian Torres briefly tied the game at 73-all with a triple, but Gojo Cruz responded with the clutch basket that lifted the Altas to their seventh win in eight outings.
Gojo Cruz finished with 19 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a performance that solidified Perpetual’s place among the league frontrunners. Josiah Alcantara backed him up with 14 points.
Allen Liwag paced the Blazers with a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Torres and Justine Sanchez contributed 17 and 10 markers, respectively, as CSB slipped to a 4-3 record.
In another game, Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals leaned on a breakout performance from Nico Quinal to down the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates, 84-75.
Quinal delivered a career-high 18 points to steer the Generals to a 4-4 slate, tying Jose Rizal University for fourth place in Group B.
“We played this round with a sense of urgency. We started 1-3, and I told the boys that every team in our bracket already has four wins, so we really needed this one. Hopefully, this win sparks a streak,” said EAC head coach Jerson Cabiltes.
Jearolan Omandac added 17 points against his former team, while Aldeo Lucero and Jude Bagay chipped in 14 and 10, respectively. Lyceum’s Renz Villegas top-scored with 18 points in the losing effort./PN
