IN A SHOWDOWN that stretched to triple overtime, the San Beda Red Lions succumbed to the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Altas, 85-88, marking their second loss in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 101 seniors’ basketball tournament at the Filoil Centre last October 29.
The Red Lions fought tooth and nail through 55 minutes of basketball, turning what began as a regular matchup into an emotionally-charged finals preview between the two group leaders.
Despite the loss, Agjanti Miller registered a career-high 28 points with seven boards, while Yukien Andrada and Nygel Gonzales chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively.
The first half saw San Beda claw back from an early deficit, forcing a tight 36-all deadlock by halftime. Miller and Andrada spearheaded the Lions’ offense, attacking the paint while keeping pace with Perpetual’s perimeter-heavy assault.
The Altas, however, found their rhythm behind Patrick Sleat, who poured in 23 points, and Mark Gojo Cruz, who added 20 markers and five assists.
In the dying seconds of regulation, San Beda nearly secured the win after Miller’s driving layup tied the game at 58-all. Perpetual had a final look but misfired, sending the contest into its first overtime.
The Lions again had chances to close it out in the succeeding extra frames, but missed free throws and a costly turnover in the final minute of the second overtime allowed the Altas to stay alive.
In the decisive third overtime, Perpetual capitalized on key San Beda errors and timely conversion from Sleat and John Abis, who tallied a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double. A last-gasp three-point attempt by Miller rimmed out as the final buzzer sealed the Lions’ fate in an 85-88 defeat after 55 minutes of relentless action.
In an interview with The Bedan, head coach Yuri Escueta described the loss as a “good experience” despite the team’s failure to execute crucial stops and baskets.
“[A]s I told ‘yung team, we were one stop away, one good decision away, probably one good execution away, tapos sabi ko, ‘this is a good situation that we experienced, and we’ll experience the same thing in the future so at least we learned,’ we’ll be better when the situation comes again,” he said.
While San Beda lost the war of attrition against Perpetual, Escueta reminded his players that basketball is as much a mental game as it is physical.
“Kasama naman sa laro yun. Ako, as a coach, I always teach my players that we have to handle our emotions properly. Kasi nga, basketball is a thinking game, you have to be more mentally focused kesa emotionally ang i-invest mo,” said the tactician.
Now holding a 6-2 record, the Red Lions aim to regroup and reignite their rhythm as they prepare for their next crossover assignment against the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) on Tuesday, November 4, at the same venue.
Quarter Scores: 8-17, 36-36, 52-48, 64-64, 72-72, 77-77, 85-88
San Beda 85 – Miller 28, Gonzales 11, Andrada 13, Puno 10, Etulle 8, Lina 2, Culdora 2, Celzo 2, Reyes 1
Perpetual 88 – Sleat 23, Cruz 20, Abis 14, Nunez 13, Borar 8, Orgo 4, Alcantara 3, Magupay 3.