All-Star guard John Tayongtong led Emilio Aguinaldo College’s surge in the second half, scoring 12 of his 20 points during the final stretch to lead the Generals’ charge to a 71-56 win over the struggling San Sebastian College in Monday’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 90 seniors’ basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.
The Generals, which led 33-28 at the halftime break of the see-saw battle, went on a 19-7 spurt beginning in the last two minutes of the third period to the halfway point of the fourth period, led by the exploits of Tayongtong, to gain control of the ballgame for good.
Also pitching in the Generals’ second win in three games were Jan Jamon with 16 points, and Cedric Noube Happi with 13 points and eight rebounds. EAC now holds a share of seventh place with the Stags, both with identical 3-6 records.
EAC Head Coach Gerry Esplana, whose game plan for the match was to keep the score low, was happy to secure the win that may result in another huge turnaround in the second round.
“Coming into this ballgame, ang San Sebastian may three prolific scorers: si [Jovit] Dela Cruz, [Jamil] Ortuoste, and [CJ] Perez. Hindi naman natin pwedeng ma-contain ‘yan, pero at least gawin ninyo ang lahat para malimit sila. Luckily, nacontain namin ‘yung dalawa out of three, so malaking tulong iyon. Nalampasan namin ang aggressiveness nila and forced them to commit turnovers,” said Esplana.
“Ayoko ng game na labanan [ng] offense, shooting versus shooting. Wala kaming material para doon, Pero if we can the score low, we’re in good shape. So maganda ‘yung nangyari sa amin. Defense did it for us.”
San Sebastian Head Coach Topex Robinson, however, said that injuries and illnesses to key players – including Ortuoste (right shoulder) and Guinto (food poisoning) – did not help their cause, but nontheless saw that his players fought hard and followed their game plan.
“I just wrote down “trust” on the [locker room] white board. Again, we’re struggling. This is part of the reality of basketball. Sometimes, you’re gonna get yourself in this deep hole, but it shouldn’t stop me from being their coach, their mentor, and their dad. I told them that I believed in them and their capability, and I just reminded them that there are things that we don’t have control of,” said Robinson.
“But ‘yung mga bagay na may control kami, they were decent. We did really what we prepare for. That was just what I was asking from them, just try to compete.”
CJ Perez carried the scoring cudgels for the Stags, contributing 18 points and 10 rebounds. Veteran guard Jovit de la Cruz and rookie forward Rhanzelle Yong each posted nine markers. San Sebastian has lost five straight contests – including three against top contenders Arellano University, four-time defending champion San Beda College, and Lyceum of the Philippines.
