VETERAN STANDOUT JOMEL Puno erupted for a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds to lift the San Beda Red Lions past long-time rivals Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) Knights, 66-64, in Round 1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 100 seniors’ basketball tournament last October 1 at the FilOil EcoOil Center.
In an interview with The Bedan, Puno explained how his “mindset and approach,” along with the team’s, shifted after the Red Lions faced early setbacks, giving him a “boost of confidence” in time for his breakout double-double performance.
“After we lost those few games, the coaches and my teammates kind of gave me the go-ahead signal to, you know, just go at it. They gave me their full trust. So coming into this game, knowing it was a big game for us and a rivalry, I was able to give it everything I had,” he added.
Letran drained a three from tip-off to kickstart their early shooting streak. Yukien Andrada swiftly responded with a swish from beyond the arc to open the Lions’ scoring.
The Red Lions struggled to find their rhythm, converting just one out of seven field goals in the first four minutes. Fortunately, the Lions quickly shook off their early dip thanks to Daniel Celzo’s six points and an icing trey from Andrada to close the first canto at a comfortable 20-16 lead.
Menard Songcuya and Puno continued to extend San Beda’s advantage during the second canto. Even so, the Knights grappled for control with a six-point charge, neutralizing the impact of Puno’s poster dunk and Songcuya’s floater to end the first half with a slim 30-32 lead over the Red Lions.
Emman Tagle drained a three to keep the game tied, 37-all. However, the Red Lions failed to keep up, with the Knights capitalizing on their scorching groove to pull away and give the Lions their biggest deficit of the game, 41-51 during the third quarter.
From then on, the tides shifted to the Red Lions as Puno kickstarted a 17-0 run with a driving layup and foul. Bryan Sajonia slashed through Letran with a layup and Celzo chipped in two from the charity stripe to put the Lions ahead in the fourth canto, 57-51.
With the Knights slowly closing the gap, Penny Estacio sank a go-ahead triple to maintain the Lions’ lead at 61-56. The resilient Letran eventually clawed through San Beda’s lead, staging a run of their own due to an unsportsmanlike foul called on Estacio. Puno answered back with a coast-to-coast layup, but Letran retaliated with a layup to keep the game tightly contested, 63-64.
Sajonia sank a clutch three in the fourth to put the Lions ahead by two. The Mendiola-based squad tightened their defensive end to hold off the Muralla squad in the dying seconds, eventually grabbing the win against their proverbial rivals, 66-64.
Celzo, Sajonia, Songcuya, and Andrada each contributed eight points.
In a post-game interview, Head Coach Yuri Escueta emphasized the team’s “defensive mindset” which helped them pull ahead against Letran.
“Well, like I told the players, just focus on our defense, our defensive mindset, which I think we lost at the start of this season. We were too concerned about our offense and our shots. When the players were able to just focus on defense, it created scoring opportunities for us,” he emphasized.
Nonetheless, the master tactician will look to “prepare the way they have prepared in the past,” maintaining his philosophy of taking it “one game at a time.”
The Red Lions will look to break their recurring win-loss pattern in their matchup against Perpetual Altas on Saturday, October 5, 11:00 a.m., at the same venue.
Quarter Scores: 20-16, 30-32, 49-51, 66-64
San Beda 66 – Puno 22, Celzo 8, Sajonia 8, Songcuya 8, Andrada 8, Payosing 6, Tagle 3, Estacio 3
Letran 64 – Santos 18, Estrada 16, Cuajao 12, Nunag 7, Montecarlo 5, Miller 4, Monje 2
(with reports from Paris Isaac Falcone)