MANILA, Philippines – Baser Amer and Arthur Dela Cruz came through when their team needed it most as San Beda survived a pesky Arellano U, 90-81, to reclaim the solo lead in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City Saturday.
Amer and Dela Cruz fired 18 and 17 points, respectively, with the former making back-to-back baskets that kept the Chiefs at Bay and the latter hitting four straight foul shots to help hand the Lions the solo lead with a 4-0 (win-loss) record after sharing it with the Perpetual Help Altas (3-0) entering the game.
It was redemption for Dela Cruz, who is back after missing his team’s 84-68 win over Lyceum last Monday after his flagrant foul on Mapua’s Jeson Cantos was upgraded to a disqualifying foul, leading to the one-game suspension.
Nigerian Ola Adeogun contributed 13 points, but he fouled out with less than a minute to go after he was slapped his fifth and final foul on a double foul with Arellano U’s John Pinto.
It was the second time the 6-8 Adeogun fouled out of the game.
Good thing Amer and Dela Cruz were there to save the day.
“I can’t say anything about Baser and Arthur, they keyed this win,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez.
The Lions also shut down the Chiefs in the final one-minute mark after their once mighty 18-point lead was sliced down to three points twice.
“We can’t do it without our defense,” said Fernandez.
Fil-Aussie Anthony Semerad swished a 3-pointer to give San Beda its biggest lead of the game, 56-38, late in the third period.
But Levi Hernandez and Giovanni Jalalon teamed up in willing Arellano U back into it, even helping cut it to just a three-point deficit twice, that last at 84-81 on a John Pinto lay-up.
The Chiefs, who were paced by Hernandez’s 20 points and Jalalon’s 17 points, six assists and four steals, absorbed their first win in three starts but gained some respect particularly from Fernandez.
“They’re a tough bunch, I will not be surprised if they make it to the Final Four,” said Fernandez.
The Scores:
First Game
San Beda (90) – Amer 18, Dela Cruz 17, Adeogun 13, Koga 8, A. Semerad 8, Tongco 7, Pascual 6, Mocon 5, D. Semerad 4, Cabanag 2, Mendoza 2, Sara 0, Abude 0.
Arellano (81) – Hernandez 20, Jalalon 17, Holts 9, Caperal 8, Pinto 6, Agovida 5, Nicholls 4, Enriquez 4, Salcedo 3, Ciriacruz 2, Cadavis 2, Bangga 1, Gumaru 0.
Quarters: 24-17, 47-35, 64-54, 90-81