Arellano University are inches away from making history as the former probationary team clinches at least a playoff for a Final Four spot by beating Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 79-70, in the 90th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seniors basketball Wednesday at the San Juan Arena in another controversial tussle wherein tempers flared from the Knights’ side.
The Chiefs (12-4) unleashed a 10-0 run from the 5:30 to the 1:30 mark of the fourth quarter to overcome a seemingly perennial deficit, effectively using its choking full-court press and a blistering running game to force a string of turnovers against Letran.
Keith Agovida, who figured prominently in said run, paced his team with 19 points, ten rebounds, and three assists while John Pinto scored nine of his twelve points in the third quarter, when the Chiefs tied the game at 58-58 after trailing, 11-24, in the second quarter.
“We were outplayed in the first half. They outhustled us and they really prepared against us. So I told my players, you have to learn to manage your fouls, especially because Letran pounded hard inside the paint,” Arellano head coach Jerry Codinera said.
Letran started the game with a blistering 12-4 run through drives from Chester Saldua and Mcjour Luib while big men Ford Ruaya and Jamil Gabawan lorded the pain in the second quarter for a 40-33 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Codinera fielded his vaunted backcourt of Pinto and Jiovani Jalalon with the former torching the Knights’ defense with daring dribble drives and the latter being the anchor of their full court press.
Tied at 58 entering the fourth quarter, the Knights leaped to a 65-59 lead with a triple from John Tambeling. However, breaks of the game went Letran’s way as their best post player Gabawan fouled out early in the fourth and with Arellano gaining possession in a hotly contested loose ball joust between Arellano’s Dioncee Holts and Ruaya, which agitated Letran head coach Caloy Garcia.
Arellano then exploded for a 10-0 run with eight of ten points in that run coming from inside stabs. In the process, Letran committed turnovers after turnovers, succumbing to the Chiefs’ full-court press.
To worsen the Knights’ woes, coach Garcia was meted with a technical foul and was thrown out with 22 seconds left after blasting the referees and the official’s table when referee Nestor Magpantay obstructed Knight Rey Nambatac’s chase for the loose ball after a missed free throw from Mark Cruz.
The trail referee, instead of avoiding a crawling Nambatac, stood his ground, obstructing Nambatac’s movement. Nambatac eventually lost the ball to Agovida as the Chiefs went on to win the ballgame.
“He’s been calling against us the entire game. During that last play, he must not be inside the three-point line and must let the baseline referee observe the play,” Garcia told Fullcourtfresh.com.
“The beauty of the game was wasted because the referees destroyed it,” he added.
This was the second time this season Garcia was thrown out. Last July 14, he and Cruz were likewise thrown out for continuous complaining in a 60-69 loss to Jose Rizal in the first round.
“It’s been fifteen games already and until now we always receive the short end of their calls. Even the other teams are complaining. Just look at San Beda’s game versus Perpetual and that Mapua-EAC fight,” he continued, referring to the last Monday’s doubleheader, with the Mapua-Emilio Aguinaldo match ending in a brawl.
“For sure, I’ll be suspended again,” he ended, as an automatic one-game suspension is given to players or coaches thrown out in a game.
The beleaguered Knights, runners-up to San Beda for the past two seasons, absorbed is ninth loss and is one loss away from being eliminated.
Furthermore, their starting forward and second leading scorer Kevin Racal was declared out for the season due to a torn ACL. Ruaya led the Knights with 20 points and five boards while Cruz added 10 points.
BOX SCORES:
Arellano 79 – Agovida 19, Pinto 12, Holts 10, Jalalon 10, Ciriacruz 8, Hernandez 6, Caperal 4, Palma 4, Salcedo 2, Gumaru 2, Enriquez 1, Bangga 1, Nicholls 0, Ortega 0
Letran 70 – Ruaya 20, Cruz 10, Gabawan 9, Quinto 7, Luib 6, Saldua 5, Nambatac 3, Calvo 3, Tambeling 3, Publico 2, Castro 2, Singontiko 0, Apreku 0
Quarter scores: 11-23, 33-40, 58-58, 79-70
