ARELLANO University edged San Sebastian College, 65-63, and Mapua University downed Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), 73-67, in a pair of Day 2 games on Sunday of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 97 senior basketball tournament.
The Chiefs had to work their way from nine points down in the final quarter and survive crucial free throws in the stretch to nail the victory and join defending champion Letran and College of Saint Benilde in the early lead.
Mapua, on the other hand, relied on Adrian Nocum and Brian Lacap to beat EAC as NCAA senior basketball returned after two years at the La Salle-Greenhills Gym.
Nocum posted 20 points and five rebounds, while Lacap had 14 points for the Cardinals. Kriss Gurtiza led the Generals with 21 points.
“This is our first game in two years, we didn’t play any tuneup so we’re still struggling to find our touch. I challenged them also to play defense and execute our offense well,” Chiefs’ coach Cholo Martin said. “I’m happy we made the necessary adjustments and the players responded very well at crunch time.”
Arellano University trailed 49-58 early in the fourth quarter but grabbed the lead, 62-60, on a 16-5 rally engineered by Gelo Sablan, Jordan Sta. Ana and Troy Valencia with a minute and 37 seconds left.
Jessie Sumoda hit a three-pointer to give the lead back to San Sebastian, 63-62, a minute and a half remaining.
And then the Chiefs slowly but laboriously shot their way to the win from the free throw line.
Sablan made two charities off JM Calma for a 64-63 Chiefs lead time down to 47 seconds.
Kalen Doromal then pegged the score to what it was in the end with a split free throw on a Sumoda foul with 3.6 seconds to go.
San Sebastian’s Michael Are then missed a three-pointer shot at the buzzer.
Six-foot-5 center Justin Arana had a monster performance of 16 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks for the Chiefs but he was carried out on a stretcher after incurring a right calf injury in a rebound play with Sumoda with 1:49 to go.