MANILA, Philippines – There is something about playing San Beda that always draws the best from Arellano U’s Jio Jalalon.
Jalalon delivered one of his best performances in the 91st NCAA basketball tournament to power the Chiefs to a 91-72 victory last Friday and a rare elimination round sweep of the Lions at The Arena in San Juan.
Jalalon dropped game-highs 25 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lift Arellano to the victory to likewise boost its Final Four bid.
It also clinched Jalalon the NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week award, his second following a 22-point, eight-assist, six-rebound effort in an 88-84 win also over San Beda in the first round last Aug. 18.
Jalalon sizzled right in the first quarter when he exploded for 11 points that set the tone for the rout. The Chiefs handed the reigning five-peat champions their worst defeat of the season since the Lions dropped a 80-93 setback to the Letran Knights last July.
Jalalon, 23, however, said it was just a coincidence that he seemed to always play his best when ranged against San Beda.
“I was just motivated because we’re coming off two straight losses that I felt we should have won,” said Jalalon, a native of Cagayan de Oro, in Filipino.