MANILA — San Beda University Red Lions quickly erased the sting of their previous defeat with a commanding 81-64 rout of the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday at the Playtime FilOil Center in San Juan.
Determined to rebound from their loss to the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, the Red Lions exploded early, taking a 21-14 advantage in the opening quarter and widening it to 45-28 at halftime.
Their defense clamped down hard in the second half, limiting EAC’s offense while stretching the lead to as many as 23 points, 72-50, after a booming triple from Agjanti Miller.
Miller spearheaded San Beda’s balanced attack with 16 points, while Jomel Puno tallied a season-high 12. Zedjay Etulle and Nygel Gonzales chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, to help the Red Lions improve to a 3-1 record.
“We needed to respond after that tough loss. Everyone stayed focused on execution,” said a relieved member of the Red Lions coaching staff after the win.
Wilmar Oftana and Nico Quinal led the Generals with nine points apiece, while Jude Bagay added eight, as EAC slid to 1-3 in the standings.
In another match, Arellano University Chiefs overpowered Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates, 92-65, behind a blistering second-half surge.
After leading by only two at halftime, 42-40, the Chiefs unleashed a 24-10 run in the third quarter to break the game open and extend their lead to as much as 27 points.
Renzo Abiera paced Arellano with 16 points, while T-Mc Ongotan posted a rare triple-double — 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Anthony Borromeo contributed 11 points as the Chiefs evened their slate at 2-2.
John Barba finished with 18 points for Lyceum, which remained winless at 0-4./PN
