Pinto bests Tayongtong as Chiefs escape Generals

MANILA, Philippines – In a duel between players used to making game-winning plays, Arellano U's John Pinto ended up beating Emilio Aguinaldo's John Tayongtong.

Pinto toyed with a triple-double performance and scored the marginal shot as he powered Arellano U to a pulsating 71-70 victory over EAC to light up its flickering Final Four hopes in the 89th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City Saturday.

The win thus kept the Chiefs' Final Four hopes alive as they sealed their sixth win against nine losses while sending the Generals to their eighth defeat against the same number of triumphs to stay at No. 5.

An EAC win would have sent Arellano U out of the Final Four hunt and in early vacation.

"Everyone knows it’s a must-win game and I'm happy the players responded," said Arellano U coach Koy Banal, who went straight to the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City for Petron's game versus Rain or Shine in the PBA.

It was another heroic effort by Pinto, who also scored a game-winner in his team's 76-75 squeaker of a win over Lyceum last Sept. 12.

For Tayongtong, he was coming off an effort to remember after he scored the lay up in the final seconds of EAC's 85-83 win over St. Benilde last Thursday.

Today, however, was Pinto's day.

The 22-year-old sophomore, Davao City native buried a fadeaway baseline jumper over the outstretched arms of Cameroonian Noube Happi that gave the Chiefs a two-point cushion with 39.9 seconds.

Just after hitting a long triple the play before to knot it at 69-all, Tayongtong, who first played for Arellano U two years ago before transferring to EAC, had a chance to tie it again but he splits his charities that pushed the Generals closer, 70-71.

After the Chiefs came up empty on their possession, Tayongtong had one more chance to shine and redeem himself but his shot hit the board to hard as time expired, allowing Arellano U to escape with the win.

The scores:

AU (71) -- Pinto 18, Caperal 14, Forrester 8, Agovida 8, Hernandez 6, Serjue 6, Jalalon 5, Salcedo 4, Bangga 2, Gumaru 0, Cadavis 0, Enriquez 0.

EAC (70) -- Jamon 21, Happi 17, Arquero 11, Tayongtong 6, Morada 5, Paguia 4, Onwubere 4, King 2, Munsayac 0.

Quarterscores: 17-13; 39-31; 59-47; 71-70