ARELLANO University poured everything it got against Mapua to score a lopsided 81-64 victory and force a playoff for the last semifinals slot in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 93 seniors basketball tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Runners-up last season, the Chiefs stayed composed despite a turbulent season by finishing the elimination round with a four-game win streak en route to a 9-9 won-lost record.
What’s more impressive was that they capped the eliminations with top gun Kent Salado going down with a season-ending medial collateral ligament tear.
They will earn the last playoff berth if Letran and San Sebastian lose their final elimination games. The Knights played the College of Saint Benilde Blazers late Tuesday, while the Stags battle the University of Perpetual Help Altas on Thursday.
“We really struggled with our chemistry without Kent. That’s why we are trying to learn on how to run the system without him. But I do believe in teamwork. Each player has different roles but its really the effort of the team,” Arellano University Head Coach Jerry Codiñera said.
Lervin Flores and Levi de la Cruz combined for 18 points at the half for the Chiefs, who grabbed the driver’s seat with a 39-28 lead.
Arellano University kept on pounding after that to stay in control with as many as a 21-point advantage in the second half.
After scoring 19 points in the first half, Mapua’s Christian Bunag was limited to only three points in the final 20 minutes, as the Chiefs’ swarming defense forced their opponents to 18 turnovers that translated to 20 Arellano University points.
Image credits: Alysa Salen